tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50332377459007928362024-02-07T21:08:05.629-08:00For the Love of Nouns: People. Places. Things.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-49952990886792163042013-10-08T13:36:00.001-07:002013-10-08T13:36:15.058-07:00Lush Ireland<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJwy3j6HxFlvoza-10IVpZWrlxYm5Ujl0Ul2UX0lMfpnrj07PTKx0339ZHd3Wg0_QbS7W3blXrnllGbUaiRcCtpWfIKGEe4ZwGQSqK887mkpffh5FzPA0s7aDV6gMb6JEQ3TWNU9N0DnM/s1600/DSC_0555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJwy3j6HxFlvoza-10IVpZWrlxYm5Ujl0Ul2UX0lMfpnrj07PTKx0339ZHd3Wg0_QbS7W3blXrnllGbUaiRcCtpWfIKGEe4ZwGQSqK887mkpffh5FzPA0s7aDV6gMb6JEQ3TWNU9N0DnM/s320/DSC_0555.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little windy on the Cliffs of Moher!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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October2...continued: We arrived to the Dublin airport about
8:20pm, collected our bags and then tried to figure out where to find the bus
to the city center. After about 25 minutes of asking and searching, we found
bus 41 and needed to wait 20 minutes until the next one arrived.</div>
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The directions to our hotel were terrible. In fact, I had to
inquire twice to them to get some that we're mediocre at best. All we knew was
we were supposed to take bus 41 to the last stop and they were "a
three-minute walk from there."</div>
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Well the bus driver was a jerk and when we asked if he
stopped at a specific street, he responded with "obviously." Ok then,
not off to the best start, and I forgot to mention it was raining. We got on
the bus and noticed that there was no bus route sign or anything, so we were a
little worried as to how we would know when the last stop was. I was able to
ask a woman behind me who showed more manners than the mean driver.</div>
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We got off the bus and were left to decide which
"three-minute" walk we would choose at this fork in the road,
literally. Thankfully we chose correctly and made it to The Abbott Lodge Inn.
We booked this place based off of reviews and proximity to the city center.</div>
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I can safely say, it's the worst place we've stayed to date.
Here is a rundown of our first 30 minutes:</div>
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-Walked the four flights to room 126</div>
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-Reeked like barf</div>
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-Smell confirmed by the still wet trash can in the corner,
no joke.</div>
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-Got our room changed to the first floor, room 104.
Only room with no Wi-fi...great.</div>
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-Windowless, no fan, so musty it was hard to breathe. But it
was bigger than the barf room</div>
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-Put our bags down. Noticed two boogies stuck to the wall.
One was bloody.</div>
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-Grin and barred it. I took a shower.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Water pressure good.</div>
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-Blew dry my hair with THEIR hair dryer. Started smoking
like crazy. Now the room smelled of smoke and must. No fan or windows to air
out.</div>
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-Andrew uses the bathroom. Steps on a SLUG! Not joking, a
slug on the floor!</div>
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-We got in bed at 11:45pm and squinted to see the 13inch
mounted box tv; circa 2000.</div>
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October3: Woke up to another rainy day. Ventured out to
explore the Guinness Brewery. We ended up spending three hours there! One of
the coolest tours I've ever been on. It was so modern and well done, just
amazing! It's self guided but everything is interactive using huge tvs with
motion activated software explaining how they brew their beer. It's really
quite hard to explain, I'm hoping some of my photos can do it justice.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Room with talking frames</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of the coolest rooms was filled with about ten talking
picture frames. High definition tvs that were 'portraits' of people from
different eras talking about Arthur Guinness, the founder. When you stepped in
front of them, they came to life in almost 3D likeness. Really clever and super
interesting.</div>
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They had a taste testing room where they activated all of
your senses. Very Willy Wonka like in an all white room. We were given a shot
glass of Guinness and then told to walk into the next room without drinking it.
This time, an all black room, the guide told us how to taste all the flavors
based on the sipping technique. Just really cool!</div>
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We then went to the fourth floor, Guinness Acadamy, and
learned how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness. After we all poured our own,
we entered our name into an iPad and a certificate printed out! Cool! They
snapped a group photo and if we entered our email address into the iPad, we
were immediately emailed the group photo. Just a great way to use current
technology to please your customers, well done!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew pouring.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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We then took our beers up to the seventh floor where we
enjoyed a 360 degree view of Dublin. We just really enjoyed ourselves and it
was one of the few entry fees we paid that we felt we got our money's worth.</div>
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We left the brewhouse, walked around a few shops in the city
center before we were tired of getting rained on. We went back to our lovely
abode to book some things for the coming days which was a relief when we
finished! We headed to a local pub for drinks, an appetizer and a dessert!
Pretty successful (despite the rain) first full day in Ireland!</div>
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October 4: After another lovely night in our wonderful
hotel, we woke up refreshed and ready to go. Ha! We walked about thirty minutes
to check out Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. Saint Patrick is said to have baptized
converts to Christianity at a well that once existed in the park just next to
the Cathedral. Due to this association, a church has been there since the fifth
century. The current cathedral (after a few rebuilds) has been there since the
thirteenth century!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpPt3sBdh7VklhowWeEL9lHpiwbIP4FtNTBSzRCvapIQpkd0o7NE-JHB7c__bxH1kYLa_WS2dEsFvWQZ1q_8s9x_1cFCjlfTIKtVdDVBoE4-CM9Al7evFieq_404Wb-fJOoMkN9kfQ0w_/s1600/DSC_0490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpPt3sBdh7VklhowWeEL9lHpiwbIP4FtNTBSzRCvapIQpkd0o7NE-JHB7c__bxH1kYLa_WS2dEsFvWQZ1q_8s9x_1cFCjlfTIKtVdDVBoE4-CM9Al7evFieq_404Wb-fJOoMkN9kfQ0w_/s320/DSC_0490.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The alter at Saint Patrick's Cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was a really beautiful church. Odd to have been charged
an admission price to visit an active cathedral, but I guess they have to get the
restoration money from somewhere, and we were glad to contribute! After
admiring the stained glass for a while, we left to check out Trinity College;
the oldest and most famous university in Ireland.</div>
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Being in no rush, we decided to check out Shop Street. A
bustling commercial district filled with shops, cafés and street performers. We
were luck to catch a local band called ‘Keywest’ and the five members were so
talented! We ended up buying a few over cds as well as an original. It was a
really nice little break to enjoy some fabulous local Dublin talent!</div>
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After the serenade, we made our way over to the college.
Now, walking around the college is free, so we did that for a bit and then
checked out their gift shop. A famous exhibition was going on to see ‘The Book
of Kells,” an elaborately designed gospel created by monks on the Scottish isle
of Iona around 800ad. They copied the books, word for word in Latin, of
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John from the New Testament. We really didn’t know much
about it and we thought nine-Euro a piece to see it seemed a little much so we
decided to pass. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxD5ri0goDv-Xj9x4-qtMPFoavGSY-2xl-5g6PN8H4d0WgZwPJpnFdj20CWNiiDIuvML26KKG6pZyNKJMwHkguTnXJ15tgiMdxl89DhMCUlHvXb1VO0h8Ax-JZYcOMR8spj5yYMELMQYE/s1600/DSC_0508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxD5ri0goDv-Xj9x4-qtMPFoavGSY-2xl-5g6PN8H4d0WgZwPJpnFdj20CWNiiDIuvML26KKG6pZyNKJMwHkguTnXJ15tgiMdxl89DhMCUlHvXb1VO0h8Ax-JZYcOMR8spj5yYMELMQYE/s320/DSC_0508.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Long Room (where we weren't supposed to be)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After moseying around the gift shop, we found ourselves
walking up some stairs in the shop not knowing what they lead to. We found our
selves in the magnificent ‘Long Room’ library. Built between 1712 and 1732, it
contains four million titles! It is really beautiful and the sight of some of
these old books was just really stunning. It even had the ‘old book’ smell! We
made our way down the opposite side stairs thinking it would lead us back to
the gift shop. Well, we were actually in the Book of Kells exhibition hall! So
confused (and clearly someone wasn’t doing their job if we just mindlessly
ended up in the hall for FREE) we took a look around. It was neat to see how
the monks created the book, and the book itself was pretty. But I was glad we
didn’t pay the eighteen Euro for it. And just like that, we walked out.</div>
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I felt a little bad for not paying, but it wasn’t done out
of malicious intent, we honestly didn’t know where we were going. If we weren’t
allowed to go that way don’t you think someone should have been there? Oh,
well. It was a lovely little mistake!</div>
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We left the college and headed to the famous Temple Bar
district for some lunch in a typical Irish Pub. The streets were lined with
them. We kind of just picked one thinking that they really all kind of served
the same things. After our late lunch, we decided to just walk around the
streets a little more, enjoying our last day in Dublin. Tomorrow we would be
hitting the road for a three-day rental car road trip around the beautiful
Green Isle.</div>
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October 5: And we’re mobile! After a bit of a frustrating
morning, the guy at the front desk of our awful hotel did not know what the
heck he was talking about when it came to which bus we needed to take. We ended
up just taking a taxi for the first time since we have left Korea. Is that
nuts?!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOvlcGmkVIB2yLHFpiGgq5Feat8rXDErTP7RqF_1wJF1qIx9RWtoAEXsNR7N7BJrUrsXDyu4qyOb39FxG13vBdPfYNQrrlM78Vv4Y3Q03qziA34A5qbv6DaR28FBgUhU6ZWF2wO3X_GAa/s1600/DSC_0583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOvlcGmkVIB2yLHFpiGgq5Feat8rXDErTP7RqF_1wJF1qIx9RWtoAEXsNR7N7BJrUrsXDyu4qyOb39FxG13vBdPfYNQrrlM78Vv4Y3Q03qziA34A5qbv6DaR28FBgUhU6ZWF2wO3X_GAa/s200/DSC_0583.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew and our sweet ride!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We decided to pick up the rental car at the airport since it
seemed like the easiest way. We booked the car through lastminutedeals.com with
Enterprise, so it was ready for us when we got there. Renting the car was a lot
more than in the states, but I had read that in our travel guide. It has
something to do with the insurance the government mandates you to purchase with
the rental and it’s pretty steep. But it’s a piece of mind I guess. The first
car we inspected actually had a nail in the tire, which I was so happy the
enterprise guy caught, so we were given another. The car is an automatic Nissan Micra! I was a little nervous for Andrew as it’s been over a
year since he has driven and it’s on the opposite side of the road. But he did
a great job with the driving when we were in New Zealand, that I knew he’s do a
great job!<br />
<br />
And we’re off, shades on, windows down, and our new Irish band
cd blasting through the speakers! Our first stop is Galway. A city about two
and a half hours west of Dublin and on the west coast. We booked a hotel there,
Galway Oyster, for the night to give us a chance to explore. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just enjoying the view!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Well, there isn’t
a whole lot to do in Galway, so after checking in and getting something to eat,
we headed 50km southwest to check out the Cliffs of Moher. WOAH! The lush
green, gorgeous Ireland I’m sure you are picturing is exactly what we saw out
our windows on the drive to the cliffs. It was like a movie! It’s obvious how
Ireland get the name, the Green Isle. We made it to the cliffs via a super
narrow country road with no shoulder (I was a nervous wreck) and saw that we
had to pay six euro a piece to park! What?! I have to pay to park in this big
open lot? Not okay. We turned around in search of another option. Bingo! We saw
some people walking down the way and noticed a few cars parked in the side of
the road and people walking up a path to the cliffs. So that’s what we did.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKQRIKw9dzPu_SV38Dp3aw40-v_7oF4yzl8gCTvlP2gpD1b0v-GgAj2MqC_dh2az3m8LzMQndRzHbVo2Yq64NZalTN-n67EHypbSuqj054hnOq96CqXZW416Bc-YzhGuIg05txu6alumI/s1600/DSC_0565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKQRIKw9dzPu_SV38Dp3aw40-v_7oF4yzl8gCTvlP2gpD1b0v-GgAj2MqC_dh2az3m8LzMQndRzHbVo2Yq64NZalTN-n67EHypbSuqj054hnOq96CqXZW416Bc-YzhGuIg05txu6alumI/s320/DSC_0565.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
After parking the car, we made the trek up the steep hill
where we would eventually meet up with the people that paid to park. Same
gorgeous view for FREE! The views were breathtaking! There isn’t much more to
say other than that. I’ll just include a few photos below and you can see for
yourself! We left just before dark to avoid the narrow roads without
streetlights. That would have been scary! Great first day of the road trip!</div>
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October 6: Today, we woke up, filled our bellies with the
complimentary breakfast and hit the road for Cork. Unfortunately, the unusually
beautiful weather we had yesterday did stretch itself any further and we woke
up to more rain. This kind of puts a damper in our plans of stopping along to
way to see sites or just take pictures of the beautiful scenery. The drive was
only about two hours, but it rained the entire time. We made one detour through
the town of Limerick to see what was there and to get some gas. Pretty much
everything was closed because it was Sunday, so we just filled up. And let me
tell you, I have no right to complain about gas prices in the US anymore! We
still had little more than a quarter tank in this tiny Micra car, and it still
cost us $60!!! That is crazy to me! No wonder they all drive itty-bitty cars.</div>
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We hit the road again and arrived at our Cork hotel, the
Best Western. The hotel is really nice and the town is built within these
killer walking hills. We dropped our stuff off and headed into town to get
something to eat. We decided not to drive because we knew parking would be a
pain so we just walked….in the rain…boo. The walk down wasn’t bad, but when we
finished eating, we had to walk the 15 minutes up hill; not fun at all. We took
the rest of the rainy afternoon to look up the last few activities we would do
to fill our last two days!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous grounds around the castle.</td></tr>
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October 7: Boo....more rain! Our plan was to head the eight kilometers from Cork, to Blarney, to visit the famous Blarney Stone, the castle it's set in as well as the beautiful gardens. But of course, that's no fun in the rain, so we decided to head there in search of a lunch spot and wait for the rain to let up. A huge tourist attraction set in the tower of the castle in 1446, it is said that anyone who kisses the Blarney Stone endows the kisser with the gift of eloquence; so of course we had to kiss it! </div>
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The rain let up so we headed to the castle. The castle itself is not that impressive, but the beautiful, lush gardens around it are worth the visit. We walked along the tourist friendly path taking pictures of the gorgeous grounds around us and reading all the little 'legend' markers along the way telling us about the witch the used to live there; kind of fun. After about an hour, we made our way to the castle and to take our turn at kissing the stone. The castle is really nothing to talk about. The steps to get to the stone however, are. Talk about tiny spaces! The stairs were so narrow and the spiral staircase is not for the anyone remotely claustrophobic. It was even smaller than the stairs leading the top of the Notre Dame tower in Paris. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew kissing the stone!</td></tr>
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We made it to the top and prepared to kiss the stone. It's actually quite awkward to tell you the truth. You have to lay on your back, grabbing these two iron posts while this old man that worked there helped to lean uncomfortable far back, like a back bend, as you kiss the stone upside down looking at the gardens quite far down below you. Not a fan of kissing something thousands of people ahead of me have; I got to go right after I watched him sanitize it! Whew! </div>
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After gaining our 'gift of eloquence,' it started raining again so we had to head back.<br />
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October 8: Our last full day of this incredible trip! We got in the rental car and drove about an hour and fifteen minutes to the city of Waterford. Know where this is going?! Yes, we were going to tour the Waterford Crystal factory! So exciting! We pulled in, ate a quick lunch and then headed to the store. Stunning of course! A whole factory filled with all different types of beautifully cut crystal just sparkling in the perfectly positioned lighting...love!<br />
<br />
We bought out tickets for the tour; a behind the scenes look at the mast craftsmen at work. We got to see how the molded, blew, shaped, cut, and shined the pieces from start to finish. The apprenticeship these men go through last up to ten years!! It is so amazing how they make all those perfect cut lines by hand; pretty incredible. We even got to hold a replica of the NCAA College football championship trophy so that we neat! The tour lasted about an hour and it gave us some great insight to this super skilled trade; it made us look at the pieces in the showroom that much closer and with that much more respect. Having not really bought any souvenirs on this trip, we splurged and bought ourselves a truly gorgeous bowl that was made at and exclusively for this factory store, so that's pretty special.<br />
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We left Waterford and headed back to Dublin to return the car and check into our airport hotel. I can't believe this trip is over. This journey really. It all started back in December of 2011 when Andrew and I talked about how much we missed living abroad and how much we wanted to travel Europe. Returning to Korea was again, such an amazing experience in itself but it helped us to ultimately get to our end goal of Europe. Traveling Europe is not cheap compared to Asia, and we knew that. Having that year to just work and save in Korea made all of this possible.<br />
<br />
In a matter of fourteen months we traveled and experienced: Korea, Philippines, Hong Kong, Turkey, Italy, France, Austria, Germany, England, Scotland, and Ireland. At the tender age of 27, Andrew and I have had so many travel opportunities that we know we are so blessed to have had. We set a goal, worked for it and accomplished it. I'm so proud, and yet, so excited for all of the goals in our future that we will work for and attain together! Bless Andrew's heart for putting up with me; Lord knows I can be a bit of a high-strung traveler!<br />
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Thanks for all the love and prayers and for following our journey! Can't wait to get back to the good 'ole USofA!</div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-43884850103405782442013-10-02T08:05:00.000-07:002013-10-02T08:05:25.205-07:00Beautiful Scotland<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hBvBiLt2hob6O4P2FwcRDcmwdm2NtAYhqaA3bSkWNer8bszGEWDmH1K4KL_4TK_2qD6JrJt71AXrsuJM17Theo-iorNeHLcjws87qq9weWjxt3Q-jvYpPAuc1OA_WRPywAhruXeuZ5uV/s1600/DSC_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hBvBiLt2hob6O4P2FwcRDcmwdm2NtAYhqaA3bSkWNer8bszGEWDmH1K4KL_4TK_2qD6JrJt71AXrsuJM17Theo-iorNeHLcjws87qq9weWjxt3Q-jvYpPAuc1OA_WRPywAhruXeuZ5uV/s320/DSC_0316.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>
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September 27: Today we boarded a four-hour train for London
that would take us to Edinburgh and then we would catch an hour-long train to
Dundee where my mom’s cousin, Barbara, was going to be picking us up. The train
ride was pretty, as much of the view was of vivid green farmland and beginning
of autumn trees.</div>
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This would be the first time I would meet Barbara and she
was just as nice as she could be. She picked us up from the train station and
took us to her house where we would be staying for two nights. Her house is in
the most picturesque location. Built by her father, this was her childhood
home. The backyard garden was beautiful! She took us along the fence line
giving us a little history of where the trees and plants came from. The house
sits on an acre of well kempt land and it’s just so cozy and peaceful. She
cooked us a perfect spaghetti dinner complete with a dessert using the fruit
she grows herself. It was such a great first night in Scotland and amazing to
meet some relatives I had never met before.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_g0fSWHQO3jqnhJARGfGE89ivq70R3M3w25AzwLONe8fy_we4rTwpBDHyePt5JPBUANoNi3swCNwdjes95Qcj0FzMHCxiP2JtqgVes1soCw7WzmW4r1G6O5BjWW6t29RTitJo_h127Bt/s1600/DSC_0242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_g0fSWHQO3jqnhJARGfGE89ivq70R3M3w25AzwLONe8fy_we4rTwpBDHyePt5JPBUANoNi3swCNwdjes95Qcj0FzMHCxiP2JtqgVes1soCw7WzmW4r1G6O5BjWW6t29RTitJo_h127Bt/s320/DSC_0242.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glamis Castle</td></tr>
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September 28: Today, began a little less typical than most
of our travel days. We THOUGHT taking a ferry from Edinburgh to Dublin (our
last stop of the trip) would be the cheapest and easiest way. We were wrong.
After talking with Barbara, she told us that a flight would be the best and
most efficient way. So, last night we tried to book it online, however, the
website would not take any of our cards for some unknown reason. So Barbara was
nice enough to take us to a travel agent first thing in the morning to get the
tickets booked. They even had trouble with the site. And to avoid an extra
charge using our American credit card, Barbara was sweet enough to put it on
her card allowing us to pay her back in cash. Whew!</div>
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After that unforeseen travel hiccup, Barbara drove us 15
miles from Dundee to see Glamis (pronounced Glaums) Castle, the childhood home
of the Queen Mother. Located at the end of a stunning drive in. A small paved
road lined with rolling hills and huge canopy trees. It embodies a castle in
every sense on the world. We took a guided tour (no pictures allowed) of some
of the staterooms and were given a great history of the 600 year old, still
inhabited castle. After the tour we grabbed a small bite to eat at the castle
restaurant before beginning our driving tour.</div>
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Dundee and the surrounding areas of Scotland are just
beautiful. By no means overly populated, the natural beauty is still at the
forefront of this place. Barbara drove us along the coastline pointing out
little towns and giving us a brief history of each. It was so wonderful because
when you travel, you don’t get the chance to see much of the countryside as
it’s hard to reach those using public transportation. I’m so glad she took the
time to drive us around. I loved the little antidotes of family history she
would weave in; all so interesting. I could definitely live here. There is just
something some homey about it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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September 29: Today Barbara drove us to the little town of
St. Andrews; home to the university as well as the birthplace of golf. Andrew
had been looking forward to this day for quite some time. The town is so
charming. And just this year, the university celebrated its 600<sup>th</sup>
birthday! We weren’t aware that the Alfred Dunhill golf tournament was going on
on the famous Old Course, so we were not able to walk along it. Instead we had
to admire it from afar. We were able to watch a few players play the 18<sup>th</sup>
hole…Andrew was in golf heaven and he’s determined to return in 2015 for the
Open that will be played there.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew at St. Andrew's</td></tr>
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After watching some golf, Barbara took us for a stroll
around the town and along the pew where we got a beautiful view of the ruins of
St. Andrew’s Castle. It was also nice just listening to her insights on
buildings and places, as she was a student at St. Andrew’s many years ago.
After walking around we grabbed a quick lunch before she drove us to Edinburgh
where we would be staying with another cousin of my mother’s, Jamie.<br />
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Edinburgh is beautiful. Their house is within walking
distance to the city center which is super convenient for us. After chatting
for a little while over a pot of tea, Barbara had to return home as she was
leaving town the next morning. It was sad to day goodbye to her because it was
just so wonderful to spend time with her. Jamie then thought to drive us to the
city center and give us a map so we could explore a bit before making our way
back to their house. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew and I with Barbara at St. Andrew's</td></tr>
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Walking the main streets of the city was so fun. Everything
is just so….well…Scottish! We took in a few sites before making our way back to
Jamie’s for dinner. At dinner we sat with Catherine, Jamie’s partner, and Robin,
Jamie’s older brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a
delicious home-cooked meal and great conversation. We ended up talking until
about 10:45pm. It was just a wonderful day!</div>
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September 30<sup>th</sup>: Jamie went with us to visit
Edinburgh Castle. A royal castle built in the 12<sup>th</sup> century and
continued as a royal living place until 1603. It was pretty cold atop that
hill, but the view was well worth it. We had such beautiful views of Edinburgh
from every angle. The castle has several mini-museums, from military to the
crown jewels. We spend a little over two hours walking around listening to our
audio guides.</div>
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We left the castle and made our way to meet Robin and
Jamie’s cousin nephew, Jimmy, who works in a local pub. More distant relatives,
yeah! We sat there chatting and eating lunch where I was able to sample Haggis,
a Scottish traditional dish.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edinburgh Castle</td></tr>
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After lunch, Robin took us on a bus to go and visit his
mother, my grandmother’s sister, Dorothy, in the nursing home. I never in a
million years thought I would have the chance to meet all this family, let
alone a 99 year-old great aunt. Dorothy does not look 99 at all. There would be
moments where the light went off and she knew who I was, in relation to her,
but then it would sadly fade away. She mentioned that she thought my
grandmother was so witty, which made me laugh as it’s still true today. We
stayed there for about 30 minutes before taking a beautiful canal walk back to
Jamie’s house.</div>
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October 1: Andrew and I headed out for the day and our first
stop was The National Museum of Scotland, right in the city center. It’s a
wonderful museum with so many aspects. We especially enjoyed the interactive
science portion! We spent about two hours just walking around and taking
everything in. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I just want to meet the queen!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The rest of the day we spent moseying around the famous
Royal Mile street and enjoying all the little shops we went in an out of. We
also made our way down to the parliament building which is a building of very
unique architecture, and then we took some photos of one of the Queens Scottish
palaces, Holyrood House. We decided not to pay to go in, but we snapped some
photos from the outside.</div>
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We walked, and then walked some more before returning to
Jamie’s house to throw in a small load of laundry before taking them both out
for a ‘thank-you-for-letting-us-stay” dinner. Tomorrow is another ½ of
Edinburgh exploration before we fly out later that evening for our final stop;
Ireland!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
October 2: Today we decided to walk around and explore more of the 'new town' even though it dates back to the 1700s. The architecture was beautiful and we enjoyed the day just killing time before leaving for our flight at 5:00pm. And believe it or not, on our way back to Jamie's house to pack, we ran into Robin walking the streets. He told us if we had 20 minutes to spare, we should join him for a look around the National Portrait Gallery. We walked the two floors as he gave us a brief Scottish history based on the portraits we saw. I just can't believe that we ran into one of only five people we know in this city! Small, small world.<br />
<br />
Scotland was such a wonderful place to visit. I felt so blessed to have been able to meet and stay with family members I had never even met. The way they opened up their homes to Andrew and I just show how kindhearted and generous the Scots truly are. We had an absolute fantastic time in Scotland!</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com1Scotland, UK56.490671199999987 -4.202645800000027547.764661199999985 -24.856942800000027 65.216681199999982 16.451651199999972tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-52605165123771396502013-09-26T12:26:00.002-07:002013-10-01T10:23:32.348-07:00Bustling London<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NsFsuBJs3hdbv5LtjsE62zeT3EkLc8SiH9MEnQie1zgzL7BZgnt9QuUwjYUXtGO7Iy_lnA6SnaxNwoVtorZ7QE01BFGG7cAE0oQr6s1o4-_7Dw_LiCvZt3h97OZFHt1U3mU_J2oeV7cZ/s1600/DSC_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NsFsuBJs3hdbv5LtjsE62zeT3EkLc8SiH9MEnQie1zgzL7BZgnt9QuUwjYUXtGO7Iy_lnA6SnaxNwoVtorZ7QE01BFGG7cAE0oQr6s1o4-_7Dw_LiCvZt3h97OZFHt1U3mU_J2oeV7cZ/s320/DSC_0082.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parliament Building</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
September 22: We left Augsburg bright and early at 6:30am to
catch the train to Munich airport. We actually bought the flight from Munich to
London before we booked a place to stay. So a 10:45am flight didn't seem so
early, until it occurred to us that we were staying two hours from the airport.
Ugh.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The flight was easy and only an hour and a half. We arrived
to the London Gadwick airport, got our bags and train tickets with ease and
were off to East Croyden where our hotel was. As soon as we got to the East
Croyden train station, we knew we weren't exactly in London. Actually, it was a
pretty sketchy place. However, the Hampton Inn was only a five minute walk from
the station and it's really very nice, so that's a plus! We ate a late lunch at
about 3pm and then went back to the hotel to start planning our itinerary for
our exciting four full days in London!</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5d9WLsAs5NVUMsM786svbtsUJToDNA2wuAqKEdAQYRZc6ZmPfOvj329A6aUA0zUBVvk4ZO82DiEOFIay6iYBakmbhTSXSNgweZwqp2YR9R0N8lKwGX5qBS_tWn0eQoZ_ebj7Ovqep2hqG/s1600/DSC_1002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5d9WLsAs5NVUMsM786svbtsUJToDNA2wuAqKEdAQYRZc6ZmPfOvj329A6aUA0zUBVvk4ZO82DiEOFIay6iYBakmbhTSXSNgweZwqp2YR9R0N8lKwGX5qBS_tWn0eQoZ_ebj7Ovqep2hqG/s200/DSC_1002.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kensington Palace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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September 23: Our day was planned around our dinner plans
with Dorothy Mackenzie and her husband. Dorothy is a cousin of my mother and
lives in London. Not wanting to venture too far away, our first stop was
Kensington Palace. Rather expensive to tour, and the online reviews said it
wasn't worth it, we decided to forego the tour. Instead we went in and looked
around the rather large gift shop which I really enjoyed, and we toured the
gardens.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our next stop was the world famous Harrods department store.
And wow, it didn't disappoint! Top of the line luxury brands we could not
afford from clothing and jewelry to home goods and accessories. The actual
department store was beautiful in itself. I very much enjoyed looking at
everything and soaking in the high class London atmosphere!</div>
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<br /></div>
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We made a quick stop for lunch on a park bench before heading
down the street in search of our next stop. We stumbled across the Victoria and
Albert museum. Being government owned it was free which always makes for a more
fun experience. It was basically a huge gallery of things from sculptures,
pottery and paintings to fashion exhibits displaying clothes through the ages.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAUpdFRLWcDaGE1faklCIv_2n8cenBtWLBEj_ZEKZqAs6Zst95018S05pvSPyTbMBROGdthe78SIBcDV_NR1jHtoENxENnTlhfQoM8aa95_HyWrnH6CvMUGRPgDrffq1G1-GZqhr-rB6g/s1600/DSC_1007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAUpdFRLWcDaGE1faklCIv_2n8cenBtWLBEj_ZEKZqAs6Zst95018S05pvSPyTbMBROGdthe78SIBcDV_NR1jHtoENxENnTlhfQoM8aa95_HyWrnH6CvMUGRPgDrffq1G1-GZqhr-rB6g/s200/DSC_1007.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scene from the park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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From the museum, it was time to start heading in the
direction of Dorothy's office which acted as our meeting point. With 45 minutes
left to kill, we got off the subway and sat on a bench in Hyde Park. The day
had turned out beautiful as the sun had come out so it was nice to just enjoy
the day.</div>
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<br /></div>
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At 5:30pm we walked and met up with Dorothy. I have had some
email correspondence with her but we have never met in person. We walked with
her to the train that would take us to her home in Ealing. Once we got on the
train I asked her about East Croyden and her reaction was hilarious! She said
that Croyden is kind of a joke amongst London'ites. She wondered how we ended
up there and I told her "an Agoda.com flash hotel deal and a lack of
London geographical knowledge." We had a good laugh about it anyhow. Ealing is a lovely London suburb and it was nice to see
where people actually live. She cooked us a delicious meal and we had a really
nice time chatting with her and her husband as well as gaining a lot of insight
on things to see and do during our stay.</div>
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It was a great first full day in London and so amazing to
meet relatives I've never met before!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dQR9lD8uUhA6t19AbhfaQn9bqw03Mlxd3V1Rzt5mtCQPhh-Ca2hUC6QorYhi5n3RAQWQl4Z82mPd7obFqKy_2m9NTt1Ls4rkvy0nwiOMmHFh-hiJeWPA6GVvL4ZjAibTjTFBuGmFCkPj/s1600/DSC_0059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dQR9lD8uUhA6t19AbhfaQn9bqw03Mlxd3V1Rzt5mtCQPhh-Ca2hUC6QorYhi5n3RAQWQl4Z82mPd7obFqKy_2m9NTt1Ls4rkvy0nwiOMmHFh-hiJeWPA6GVvL4ZjAibTjTFBuGmFCkPj/s320/DSC_0059.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buckingham Palace! Gorgeous!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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September 24: Buckingham Palace day!! We arrived and bought
our tickets to see the palace staterooms as well as the Royal Mews where they
keep the horses and stagecoaches used in various processionals. I’ll be honest,
the tickets are WAY overpriced but it is Buckingham Palace and if I had any
chance of being invited to tea with the Queen, I had to pay the high admission
fee. HA!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Touring the palace was so much fun! The audio guide did a
great job of explaining the state rooms with just enough detail to keep things
interesting. The rooms are of course so beautiful and over the top. I just kept
“playing princess” and day dreaming about what it would be like to live there
or to be invited to a state dinner or something. It’s all part of the fun
experience.! I wish we could have seen more or been given a guided tour by the
Duchess of Cambridge herself, but I guess she’s a little busy with baby Prince
George. A girl can dream…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(pictures
were not permitted inside the palace, that’s why I didn’t post any.)</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCe1PAyt0uNGPWmYLoKb1C-8tkHVXTqYzKPkRX43mLS9zhLh8pWs6QHM_FH7gZziaWESZgcgYy8rG1CLiE2bkWgzKp83rnBt1m_Xx5RwGwQe6HTaixP7MP5D4lmJ_N7-bPGbapYL50W_1a/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCe1PAyt0uNGPWmYLoKb1C-8tkHVXTqYzKPkRX43mLS9zhLh8pWs6QHM_FH7gZziaWESZgcgYy8rG1CLiE2bkWgzKp83rnBt1m_Xx5RwGwQe6HTaixP7MP5D4lmJ_N7-bPGbapYL50W_1a/s320/DSC_0023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden carriage used during coronations. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Sadly, we weren’t invited to tea by Her Majesty the Queen,
so we headed to the Mews. This exhibit was not worth the extra nine pounds each
that we paid. Actually it was really disappointing. We saw a few carriages, and
two horses but nothing that really wowed me except for the golden carriage,
that one was pretty neat to see.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We left the mews and grabbed a bite to eat before continuing
down Victoria street to see a few more historical sites. We first went into
Westminster Cathedral which was free, SCORE! Next we saw Westminster Abbey. We
decided not to wait in line or pay the $20 each to go inside. Instead, we took
some photos from the outside, and went into the gift shop where we flipped
through a Westminster Abbey souvenir book to see what the inside looked
like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been in so many
gorgeous churches this trip, that we decided to opt out of the high admission
price and just view this from the outside.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76TkoWhJ08B6I-UCEqYOBaCGHNb-rqbkB1vAUMPbhkmvo7-tOaokkei2EmIOEbLmoRXTSMShAC3hpiMfZp_06_Np4HdVE8WvSobrdoW4QYxasdXY9CmhgdhPx3JGDIKNLZTLgRCRdwaXh/s1600/DSC_0081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76TkoWhJ08B6I-UCEqYOBaCGHNb-rqbkB1vAUMPbhkmvo7-tOaokkei2EmIOEbLmoRXTSMShAC3hpiMfZp_06_Np4HdVE8WvSobrdoW4QYxasdXY9CmhgdhPx3JGDIKNLZTLgRCRdwaXh/s320/DSC_0081.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>
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Next we saw <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the
London Eye, Big Ben and the parliament building. Sadly, we could not go inside
the parliament building as they are sitting at the moment, but it is a
beautiful and really neat site to see. We took a rest and sat on a bench
overlooking the river reliving all the sites we saw today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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September 25: Today we made our way to The Tower of London.
Built in 1078, it’s a historical castle on the north bank of the River Thames.
The name is confusing, but The Tower of London is actually a mini complex made
up of several buildings. Again, the admission fee was outrageous but we paid it
and went in. We lucked out and joined up with a short tour with a truly fantastic
guide. It's quite an honor to be a tour guide of the Tower of London. You have
to have served in the Queens army for at least 21 years, and had a perfect
record for 18 of them. You also had to have been awarded a special honor and
then you can be appointed as a tour guide. Anyways, he was so enthusiastic and
really told us a lot of great info, I wish it would have lasted longer.</div>
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After the tour we walked around for about two and a half
more hours. Of course my favorite site was the crown jewels. We saw about eight
crowns which were adorned in huge diamond and gems. Sadly they were not letting
the public try them on...who would have thought?! We also saw the coronation
staff that tops out with a 500 carat DIAMOND! Gorgeous! I was hoping to see necklaces, rings, bracelets and tiaras
all belonging to past queens, but they must lock them up someplace else. I was
a little bummed. We continued walking around looking at old suits of armor
and brick towers. We also had a stunning view of London Bridge. I didn't realize
how pretty the bridge actually is!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO38V8ZeWoA4_uzmvtJYyKPz42rGinK37QPLxbUHGnhFW2vSHcmpwU5-S4Ub_HaaXLYEZhAmO6fzUAn3ljuh2WzyTvXT-UDLLRPz6_GtfHyk5NL-zFIhFXYhv1UinajfTzJsp4Y18jKhv6/s1600/DSC_0149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO38V8ZeWoA4_uzmvtJYyKPz42rGinK37QPLxbUHGnhFW2vSHcmpwU5-S4Ub_HaaXLYEZhAmO6fzUAn3ljuh2WzyTvXT-UDLLRPz6_GtfHyk5NL-zFIhFXYhv1UinajfTzJsp4Y18jKhv6/s200/DSC_0149.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Leaving the Tower we headed to Trafalgar Square, a public
space and tourist attraction. We listened to a group of boys playing they own music
which was actually really good, the we made a few laps inside the National
Gallery. I literally mean a few laps. It's this massive art gallery full of
hundreds of paintings and we could not find our way out. We saw some of the
same paintings three times!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_dZxvbAR_jCfKrFTZvYY17wrXCvF53osj1Qra_JShWJG7oHp4PZNnFddGJeQa_BdDYbCNxnbKrCykq4aTT_jpH_S9q8dO9LKoqv2JnUU9Om1058YbLo-f7kKsxirAmYn3IAcKhY6DpvK/s1600/DSC_0181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_dZxvbAR_jCfKrFTZvYY17wrXCvF53osj1Qra_JShWJG7oHp4PZNnFddGJeQa_BdDYbCNxnbKrCykq4aTT_jpH_S9q8dO9LKoqv2JnUU9Om1058YbLo-f7kKsxirAmYn3IAcKhY6DpvK/s200/DSC_0181.JPG" width="131" /></a>We left and began to head towards the London Apollo Theater
where we had tickets to see Wicked! On the way, we decided to stop in a local
pub for a beer and an appetizer. It was a cliche British Pub and we loved the
atmosphere. Bellies full of beer, we made our way to the show. I had
high expectations I admit. Everyone raves about this musical. And let me
confirm, it was truly amazing! The script was pure genius, and such a creative
way to tell the story of the wicked witch of the west as well as Glenda. I will
never look at The Wizard of Oz the same. Such world class talent they had. The
singing, and costumes and stage sets were perfection! Amazing, amazing,
amazing!!! Well worth the super expensive, four rows from the <br />
top, had to use
binoculars at times, tickets! Woah.</div>
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Made it back to East Croyden at 11 to rest up for an early
start to get to Windsor Castle.</div>
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September 26: It was a bit earlier of a start today as we were
making our way to Windsor to see Windsor Castle. It cost us $80 just to travel
the hour to get there…sheesh. I told you London was expensive!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxddV-CV2ZLSrvjwrSBg1MejO-980LveVECqQqI7jszBkixrKiYujN3fGFO4Jm1zeCzetzxJC_0e9lwjLu5zbkfqMV4iuuIoT0TWbxcV_RlcqSWn5_znAcdhYcgZqglqhDY7Nie2XwnG5k/s1600/DSC_0214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxddV-CV2ZLSrvjwrSBg1MejO-980LveVECqQqI7jszBkixrKiYujN3fGFO4Jm1zeCzetzxJC_0e9lwjLu5zbkfqMV4iuuIoT0TWbxcV_RlcqSWn5_znAcdhYcgZqglqhDY7Nie2XwnG5k/s320/DSC_0214.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
We arrived and met up with Dorothy’s daughter Sarah, who is
actually living on the castle grounds serving as an aupair to children of one
of the choir singers at the chapel. There are about 150 people that live on the
grounds besides the royal family which is an interesting fact I did not know.
Because of her employment, she was able to get us two free tickets to actually
tour the castle which was so sweet of her and such a savings. We got there in
time to see the famous changing of the guards ceremony, so that was fun to see
in person. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT16SYg2GsVn7L-tmpMkNi4m-UhiWcAEj-7-baYUwSeTxMw2uiJjGRC4xuB5XB86ag7OkuAoIao4R-LLhzEI0T9oVlv8ONDmo4BeNfYz1Q13bUe14RnZ7Sb9yZVH25n7l4TcF9Y3ltJSFf/s1600/DSC_0193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT16SYg2GsVn7L-tmpMkNi4m-UhiWcAEj-7-baYUwSeTxMw2uiJjGRC4xuB5XB86ag7OkuAoIao4R-LLhzEI0T9oVlv8ONDmo4BeNfYz1Q13bUe14RnZ7Sb9yZVH25n7l4TcF9Y3ltJSFf/s200/DSC_0193.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
We then collected our audio guides and toured the castle.
Since it’s still an inhabited castle by the royal family, mainly their winter
home, much of it is blocked off to the public. We were able to walk around and
see some of the staterooms which were obviously beautiful and impressive. After
we finished our official tour, we met back up with Sarah to take her dog for a
walk on the famous ‘Long Walk’ which is a beautiful walking path just behind
the castle. After the walk we parted ways and Andrew and I took a stroll around
the adorable town of Windsor before stopping for lunch at the “Duchess of
Cambridge” pub where we had London’s most famous dish, Fish and Chips.
Delicious! If I couldn’t see the real Duchess of Cambridge, Kate, then the next
best thing is eating lunch at a pub named after her!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUx5qKtN6Bs0H9j3d7xtIUecRloXrmE1dTJJ8lvxLadx4mknVjXFC1yPfo6N3fNHrMa7w23F8dnBO92X95Y3EIGiZgO515zKQ27ClKD3qphTc3RbNx028DWxmjt_deBVKRH9mCm0H7WcIx/s1600/DSC_0133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUx5qKtN6Bs0H9j3d7xtIUecRloXrmE1dTJJ8lvxLadx4mknVjXFC1yPfo6N3fNHrMa7w23F8dnBO92X95Y3EIGiZgO515zKQ27ClKD3qphTc3RbNx028DWxmjt_deBVKRH9mCm0H7WcIx/s320/DSC_0133.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying on the virtual crown jewels!</td></tr>
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I didn’t meet my goal of drinking tea with a royal, which
only means one thing, we are going to have to return to London!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNcWc9RS5CgKgCQL-G4IJa26y_VzEqBEN54YtIyJsPFGOW_3dbPOytVFFw-KwCs66T8z5hnxTXkqxJnGJtOixxpYsDPMpR5IkqTAAgAiyrXqeK-aZagH2BCxd3tCvnvDNiHXTiVKEDV8X/s1600/DSC_0235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNcWc9RS5CgKgCQL-G4IJa26y_VzEqBEN54YtIyJsPFGOW_3dbPOytVFFw-KwCs66T8z5hnxTXkqxJnGJtOixxpYsDPMpR5IkqTAAgAiyrXqeK-aZagH2BCxd3tCvnvDNiHXTiVKEDV8X/s320/DSC_0235.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As close to Kate as I could get!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQkR6w1iKX0Qt1xxGC-UfFIQuPSb8aSxMNDMXVXSC_yTliY8ltXwLhRNbtwUD40ggkKH0hdAVwJzs6jBLOwaT4Ry_U4AQJZM2t_QswXM3aPfeXTbuKEKjwTpzbsVuuxcOyXHLwAvTD5O5/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQkR6w1iKX0Qt1xxGC-UfFIQuPSb8aSxMNDMXVXSC_yTliY8ltXwLhRNbtwUD40ggkKH0hdAVwJzs6jBLOwaT4Ry_U4AQJZM2t_QswXM3aPfeXTbuKEKjwTpzbsVuuxcOyXHLwAvTD5O5/s320/DSC_0041.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of our future residence; Buckingham Palace!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFXMeykQ9myuu81KxRJkFyIhQAtVhur7mKcWgnzIORa_zophI0c0ELtQIq7beZL_Y_Lr1EYIIaNcaI2tXHEx7PgcN90Le4-Yvc5BtYEKIZZJQGiqWLE6-sRfQQAdLyl3rWL4T3SsX82Za/s1600/DSC_0223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFXMeykQ9myuu81KxRJkFyIhQAtVhur7mKcWgnzIORa_zophI0c0ELtQIq7beZL_Y_Lr1EYIIaNcaI2tXHEx7PgcN90Le4-Yvc5BtYEKIZZJQGiqWLE6-sRfQQAdLyl3rWL4T3SsX82Za/s320/DSC_0223.JPG" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obligatory guard photo!</td></tr>
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<!--EndFragment-->Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.511213899999987 -0.1198243999999704151.195100899999986 -0.7652713999999704 51.827326899999989 0.52562260000002958tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-5448858847353919802013-09-22T07:53:00.001-07:002013-09-22T07:53:26.961-07:00Celebratory Germany
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPu3cHEVqmfIgiuO4moZ0kto2zuwaV-35rXQogAESmc58VTevjKfxbwz1-x0rOlrpG2Vsq1DQWF26IeMBb3vbgTK39AFTvKkiPK90sexZnoVJ6V8F88Mth36f27s0XMcZRXeJc8gKXHAe/s1600/DSC_0991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPu3cHEVqmfIgiuO4moZ0kto2zuwaV-35rXQogAESmc58VTevjKfxbwz1-x0rOlrpG2Vsq1DQWF26IeMBb3vbgTK39AFTvKkiPK90sexZnoVJ6V8F88Mth36f27s0XMcZRXeJc8gKXHAe/s320/DSC_0991.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside the gates to Oktoberfest</td></tr>
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September 17: We boarded a 9:51am train from Salzburg to
Augsburg, Germany. The two-hour and 15 minute drive was beautiful. If I could
speak German I might just move to the Austrian/German boarder. The scenery is
so stunning and the houses are picturesque. Why Augsburg and not Munich you
ask? Because the price of even staying in a dirty hostel is outrageous!!!
Everyone jacks up their prices so much around the time of Oktoberfest. So we
searched for cities near Munich with easy access to the Munich’s city center.
Augsburg kept showing up in our search results so we looked into it. It’s
located about a 35 minute train ride northeast of Munich and seemed like the
best option. We found a great apartment, for under $100/night. I think a best
kept secret to staying cheap during Oktoberfest.</div>
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We arrived about 12:15 and walked about 25 minutes to the
apartment <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(because we had horrible
directions) we were staying in. It started pouring right as we were approaching
the apartment building, so we managed to get only a little wet. Due to a
miscommunication and lack of wi-fi, we sat in the lobby waiting on our host for
over an hour before leaving in search of food, a bathroom and an internet
connection. Well, we found food but none of the places would take a credit card
and we were down to only a few euro. So we split a piece of apple cake but the
café had no bathroom and no wi-fi. FAIL. </div>
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Needless to say, at this point we were
tired, wet, hungry, and extremely frustrated with the situation.</div>
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We walked out and found a pay phone (yes, they still exist)
to call the host, for the second time, and yet again no answer. This was my
breaking point. We walked back to the apartment and FINALLY after two hours she
showed up. Ugh. The apartment is nice and will work great, but it doesn’t excuse
the lack of promptness on the hosts’ side.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from out apartment balcony</td></tr>
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Still hungry, and without cash, we ventured out to find a
grocery store and a bank. TWO HOURS of walking later, and several (yes, more
than two) grocery stores later that DID NOT accept credit cards, our energy was
drained. We dragged ourselves to the city center and FOUND A BANK! We’re
saved!! Andrew plops his debit card in the slot, enters his pin number
and….NOTHING! “Incorrect pin.” My wonderful husband CAN’T REMEMBER HIS
FOUR-DIGIT PIN NUMBER!!!! So, we left and headed to a kebab place. With tears
in my eyes, Andrew asks if they take credit card, “No.” Let the waterworks
begin. I break down. I’m tired, thirsty and ‘hangry’ (hungry and angry) and
just want a damn kebab!</div>
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Andrew spots a Subway sandwich shop so we head there
literally praying they take plastic. Right next to the Subway is a German pub
with a VISA sticker on the outside. Without hesitation we go in. SCORE! It’s
confirmed, they take VISA! We look at the entire German menu. The waiter comes
by, I literally just say “Beer.” He smiles and brings two out along with an
English menu. I LOVE THIS PLACE. We enjoyed a mix of American and German foods,
delicious beer and the smile begins to return to my face. </div>
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Augsburg has not gotten off to a good start. Let’s see if
our day trip to Munich tomorrow goes a bit smoother.</div>
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September 18: We woke up to the sound of blowing rain and
hollowing winds. Ugh. Our plan was to travel about 45 minutes to the city of
Dachau, and visit the concentration camp memorial, however, the weather had
another plan. Doing anything outside was no longer an option and sometimes the
weather can alter travel plans. We decided to stay in Augsburg and make it a
productive “tie-up-loose-ends” day. We still had a few tickets to book as well
as finding a place to stay in Dublin. </div>
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We went to the train station again, to find an ATM now that
Andrew was given a new pin number, thanks to his mom’s help. Yeah, we have
money! On our way back to the apartment, in the sideways rain, we spotted a bowling
alley! Thinking that would be a fun indoor activity, we headed into this small
indoor shopping area to find it. And, much to our surprise, we found a grocery
store too! Score! Well, go figure, the bowling alley was closed, so we bought
some groceries and headed back to the apartment. That is as exciting as it’s
get for these two travelers in the rain!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gate to Dachau: 'Work Sets You Free'</td></tr>
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September 19: Ok, once again we planned to make the trip to
Dachau. We woke up to sun and headed for the train station to catch the 9:06am
train. Well, it took longer than expected, so we bought the tickets and
sprinted to the train which we could see had not yet left. We made it in time
to hit the open door button, twice…but it wouldn’t open and IT LEFT US! ARE YOU
KIDDING ME?!?! So we had to wait 30 minutes to catch the next one.</div>
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The trip was an easy one, we only had to make two changes
which is always nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived
to Dachau and the mood was a somber one as you can imagine. We both related the
uneasy feeling to that of our visit to the Killing Fields in Cambodia back in
2010. Dachau concentration camp was opened in 1933 by Heinrich Himmler as the
first of the Nazi concentration camps. It was originally built to hold
political prisoners but its purpose grew to also include forced labor and the
imprisonment of anyone the regime deemed necessary: Jews, criminals, foreign
nationals etc.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOqsv-JdPUWZLfYF7jqw1bcHCrVY7CgNoxMdpvWqwtdY0-8yHayMJ_R_WFRMVn6xUHKTmSIIhMVgiguwdGT_MW0Wgp6g5-hcxpC2ICaAU6slTvlYpEZ-gfmKjtUKbpcSJgGaWvfgdP5Ed/s1600/DSC_0759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOqsv-JdPUWZLfYF7jqw1bcHCrVY7CgNoxMdpvWqwtdY0-8yHayMJ_R_WFRMVn6xUHKTmSIIhMVgiguwdGT_MW0Wgp6g5-hcxpC2ICaAU6slTvlYpEZ-gfmKjtUKbpcSJgGaWvfgdP5Ed/s200/DSC_0759.JPG" width="200" /></a>The camp was originally built to hold 6,000 prisoners, and
towards the end of the war, the camp was housing more than 30,000 at one time.
The barracks we toured (rebuilt replicas as you can imagine why) were built to
hold 200 people in a 100 meter X 10 meter area, were at times, holding 2,000
people! The facts our audio guide was telling us were so unbelievable. I’ve
read books on the subject, seen documentaries, learned about them in school,
but when I was standing right there, I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact
that this all really existed. The inhumanity that took place right where I was
standing was unfathomable. Many of the original buildings that we went in, the
main one housed the museum, were the actual buildings used during the time the
camp was in use. The prison barracks had since been torn down for obvious
reasons, but they are marked off so you can see exactly how they were lined up.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8SDf7rU4QJx0w0tMySbJUj8jTTkqhjRCDsj-w1KB0F1L9LBScxEDnA9831V7uf9ix0NCtedwxUV5MFvqzeUntXoG_WB0F_jjWrkKSwLx4g09ErXwKPuUFKWtNdBALJTpqY8s_lDC6gWQ/s1600/DSC_0774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8SDf7rU4QJx0w0tMySbJUj8jTTkqhjRCDsj-w1KB0F1L9LBScxEDnA9831V7uf9ix0NCtedwxUV5MFvqzeUntXoG_WB0F_jjWrkKSwLx4g09ErXwKPuUFKWtNdBALJTpqY8s_lDC6gWQ/s320/DSC_0774.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where the barracks once stood</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The whole site was eerie and so sad. The part that disturbed
me the most were the crematoriums. There were over 31,000 documented deaths in
Dachau and thousands that were undocumented. Some due to starvation, others to
torture or execution. The crematoriums we walked through were the ones that
were actually used to dispose of the deceased. Towards the end of the war when
they ran out of coal, they would just stack the bodies in the neighboring
cement rooms which we also toured. It was so hard to stand there, in that cold
empty room. I can’t imagine what it was like when it was in use.</div>
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Dachau also had gas chambers disguised as showers. There are
no reports however, that they were actually used to execute prisoners. But
there is also no proof that they weren’t. We toured the gas chambers as well. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dachau was liberated by the Americans in 1945.
Administration recorded the intake of 206, 206 prisoners. Wow. It’s just so
hard to imagine such horror existed, and even exists today all over the world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5v5rS8eJ2i7TIqDOunXV1XrADLPRTHIULFIcWcSsd7rJI-6W8yWQTIlnDDhyphenhyphenL3YHRPvOb3LynVbVkFKXv__L2MK6ogkL5QlwCVDKwTrZXB36PqKz3LCwh3raVrRxfocR1uCP6yKbXDNwU/s1600/DSC_0849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5v5rS8eJ2i7TIqDOunXV1XrADLPRTHIULFIcWcSsd7rJI-6W8yWQTIlnDDhyphenhyphenL3YHRPvOb3LynVbVkFKXv__L2MK6ogkL5QlwCVDKwTrZXB36PqKz3LCwh3raVrRxfocR1uCP6yKbXDNwU/s200/DSC_0849.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the BMW Welt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After spending nearly three-hours touring this memorial we
decided to head back to Munich to visit the BMW museum as well and the BMW
Welt. I guess I got to have my moment during the Sound of Music tour so it was
Andrew’s turn. I personally thought the BMW museum was way overpriced, but it
was cool to see such old Rolls Royce’s as well as BMW’s that dated back to the
early 20s. There were also a lot of motorcycles and models on engines. I
started laughing out loud at one point. I just took a step back and looked
around. I noticed that all the men, every single one of them, had their smart
phones out taking pictures while the women with them were just following behind
them. Hilarious!</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8v0kONzIEBT-KiPzAgr5Yt4oPYG9ze2Ck0GJciQCB26LjHKEdkZ156W5ctcd7IUzE4pUy3aaR1HTo0qLSbEi_dEekf44RjriB8XS4X9u8GENeEX6WpOZ3UEutTP8KQ_Du6iqRQlUOzavI/s1600/DSC_0860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8v0kONzIEBT-KiPzAgr5Yt4oPYG9ze2Ck0GJciQCB26LjHKEdkZ156W5ctcd7IUzE4pUy3aaR1HTo0qLSbEi_dEekf44RjriB8XS4X9u8GENeEX6WpOZ3UEutTP8KQ_Du6iqRQlUOzavI/s320/DSC_0860.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a cute little BMW!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After the museum, we walked across to the Welt, which is
free to enter. It’s more like a really fancy car dealership. They had a bunch
of BMW’s and Mini’s where you could sit in them and take pictures. I think
Andrew and I both found ourselves new cars! They also had some video games as
well as driving simulation which Andrew and I were terrible at. All in all, it
was a fun uplifting last activity of the day!</div>
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September 20: Today we made our way back to Munich to
explore the city center. We were armed with an hour and a half Rick Steves
walking tour podcast and ready to pound the pavement…er…cobblestone. He had us
walking all around, going in and out of churches, famous stores and restaurants,
a wonderful open air market and filled our heads with all sorts of Munich and
WWII facts. Most of the city center of Munich has been rebuilt to look like the
original as the majority of it was bombed and destroyed during the war. It was
a great example of old meeting new as the old looking buildings are lined with
pedestrian only streets and popular shops.</div>
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One of the most fun stops was Hofbrauhaus. It’s the ultimate
cliché of a Munich beer hall and it is MASSIVE! It is lined with wooden tables,
tourists drinking liters of beer listening to a live German band and eating
massive amounts of meat! It was also a place where Hitler used to give
speeches. Sadly, we arrived around lunchtime so it was completely packed with
no place to sit. So we walked around, took some pictures and left.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1CrY2k4fYPvbPpQ3HxgeY5x3ldxFS9cCe1s2o6tbjcgtE_EhqjsH9-bYk55H6B7R8yf3cx6L9-dT1V_TcysK3AGQwFABDlo78VuXx7RcNoUQbqNhJiQ0vxx_4SM3ik5H7Dqwt8ZRfLg5/s1600/DSC_0891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1CrY2k4fYPvbPpQ3HxgeY5x3ldxFS9cCe1s2o6tbjcgtE_EhqjsH9-bYk55H6B7R8yf3cx6L9-dT1V_TcysK3AGQwFABDlo78VuXx7RcNoUQbqNhJiQ0vxx_4SM3ik5H7Dqwt8ZRfLg5/s320/DSC_0891.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Munich City Center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We ate some lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon just
walking around enjoying the sites and sounds of this historic city. Colder than
expected and my little jacket just wasn’t cutting it, I bought a cheesy
‘Oktoberfest’ sweatshirt which I love but Andrew isn’t too excited about. My
first souvenir of the entire trip! We hopped on the train back to Augsburg, did
some laundry and anticipated our last full day in Germany AND the first day of
Oktoberfest!</div>
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<br /></div>
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September 21: We boarded the 10:06am train headed to Munich
for the first day of Oktoberfest and all the festivities that entailed!
Honestly, we haven’t had internet for two days at this point so we really weren’t
able to look anything up. Our plan was to just follow the dirndl and lederhosen
wearing festival goers and we knew we’d end up in the right place. Our plan was
successful! At 11am, the parade began and the streets were lined with people.
Honestly, I couldn’t see anything as we were about 15 people deep, but Andrew
managed to raise the camera above his head and snap some good pictures. The
parade ended at the opening gates to Oktoberfest and at noon, the mayor tapped
the first keg and day one of the festival officially began!</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXtiWNyBQyql7Zf0GC-8B_gichuV8yxHIWEmrmM0ZaslSCjaP0TyxQFwT0fxpF6ESobZE-_5s45HdQwwAAErXgls5_d2TrmrnGqpYjcfZ5ZcD-RfnDX4E4vzHwpvYtA8LQfNNp_Zgd0Im/s1600/DSC_0942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXtiWNyBQyql7Zf0GC-8B_gichuV8yxHIWEmrmM0ZaslSCjaP0TyxQFwT0fxpF6ESobZE-_5s45HdQwwAAErXgls5_d2TrmrnGqpYjcfZ5ZcD-RfnDX4E4vzHwpvYtA8LQfNNp_Zgd0Im/s200/DSC_0942.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of the parade</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The amount of people was insane. Oktoberfest really wasn’t
at all like I had pictured. I thought it was a green space just lined with
white tents where people sit and drink liters of beer all day. In reality, it’s
very family friendly and looks a lot like a large state fair with all kinds of
rides, booths selling souvenirs, carnival games, and food vendors. Of course,
beer is a big part of it and the six major breweries in Germany have huge
drinking halls “tents” set up. However, this is where the lack of research bit
us in the butt. It seems that if you aren’t the first into the festival, or
have a ‘reservation’ then it’s pretty much impossible to get into one of the
huge tents. People make the table reservations months and months in advance. So
we pushed out way through the crowd to try to get our bearings.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We lucked out on the weather because had it been raining,
the day would have been pretty miserable as there is no place to take refuge,
or even sit down if you aren’t in one of the coveted tents. </div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPv2zrK4HxCxRbrttE6Av6V00mS0uC1b3pjCqW-ysk6ErZXgW73KQg_bsukGREDezYR4L3jz6XzGyCbQGJ-nOF-fos2zxqSrRThDJowUcI5a_nJnE1ycIwrmvgxIr3kSeJ3KLAerJRDbwb/s1600/DSC_0974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPv2zrK4HxCxRbrttE6Av6V00mS0uC1b3pjCqW-ysk6ErZXgW73KQg_bsukGREDezYR4L3jz6XzGyCbQGJ-nOF-fos2zxqSrRThDJowUcI5a_nJnE1ycIwrmvgxIr3kSeJ3KLAerJRDbwb/s200/DSC_0974.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">State Fair-ish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Determined to get
our liters of beer Andrew and I began walking around to see what the next best
option was. We stopped to get two bratwurst sandwiches and scoped it out. We
noticed some people standing outside one of the tents and they had beer! So we
walked in and kind of just stood there trying to find out where they bought
them. I saw a man walking with about ten steins in his hand and I told Andrew
to follow him. Turns out, that’s how you get a beer. He put them down and
people just flocked to him trying to get one. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With beer in hand, and brats in our bellies we were ready to
fully experience Oktoberfest! Again, I can’t reiterate enough how crowded this
place was. Part of it we think is because it was the first day, and the other
part was that it was Saturday. Both situations worked against us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beer was good, but then another
problem quickly arose. Bathrooms. Now, in my mind I thought with this many
people, there must just be an area lined with hundreds of port-a-potty’s. Well,
not the case. At the back of each ‘tent’ there was a men’s and women’s restroom
with enormous lines as you can imagine. And with all of these women dressed in
their dirndl’s, that means pantyhose, which means EVEN MORE TIME in the
bathroom! Ugh….I stopped drinking any liquids at this point because there was
no way I was going to be able to find a bathroom line that I wouldn’t be in for
an hour. Terrible.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgDvq18rZ-FiDRYuy431Fo-Al9O8bEqh52MGQLSoBGoPvb9rvRmR78p6HCf-MO7vuySqjHvbQV9QKGDK_IXaSHYR-phgJQxq1w3JS2sB5lg6OZ3KH4hF3_l0vRJtMbzrAu8MM6DQDnvP0/s1600/DSC_0947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgDvq18rZ-FiDRYuy431Fo-Al9O8bEqh52MGQLSoBGoPvb9rvRmR78p6HCf-MO7vuySqjHvbQV9QKGDK_IXaSHYR-phgJQxq1w3JS2sB5lg6OZ3KH4hF3_l0vRJtMbzrAu8MM6DQDnvP0/s320/DSC_0947.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this was just the crowd in front of us!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After conversing with two guys from Ohio, and finishing our
beers, Andrew and I began walking around and enjoying the atmosphere. I bought
a gingerbread cookie necklace, a must for all the women, and we spilt a nice
big pretzel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent four hours
there before heading back to Augsburg. We tried to get into the back of a tent
one more time to enjoy one last beer in Germany, but by this time, there were
even long lines to get back to where we drank before. Bummer.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All in all, it was a really fun experience. If we ever get
the chance to return to Oktoberfest, we will for sure look into this whole tent
reservation thing, because it’s a must. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Germany has been a fun stop aside from mostly rainy weather.
We enjoyed the history, seeing people in traditional clothing, and all the
excitement surrounding the Oktoberfest festivities! Tomorrow we head to London.
English speaking countries from here on out!! Yiiiiiiippppppeeeeee!!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HWwRM4grUIyfE4CBLHJxORIEegD0WeNNGTkFQPOC1XGpkMsBvZ6FU3XKhyxD_j7zOBg-PlF7LB58sGYcp_O7rjHiOIWIFF60DXrl9M4gxL_qjf2tSbMt9iyriXCordbNXex2bndZ-6O1/s1600/DSC_0969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HWwRM4grUIyfE4CBLHJxORIEegD0WeNNGTkFQPOC1XGpkMsBvZ6FU3XKhyxD_j7zOBg-PlF7LB58sGYcp_O7rjHiOIWIFF60DXrl9M4gxL_qjf2tSbMt9iyriXCordbNXex2bndZ-6O1/s400/DSC_0969.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bellies full of beer and brats!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0Munich, Germany48.1367203 11.57675399999993747.9672328 11.254030499999937 48.3062078 11.899477499999938tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-5811293964663418252013-09-17T10:43:00.000-07:002013-09-17T10:43:02.068-07:00Quaint Austria<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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CLASSICAL VIENNA</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmJv249yYEwwBBEAnbUxP38nZ3CBbW9pHchFumDSXKXi8TScnumNG404crqwOJH2xwrvtsjuCwP-Hr7Xs5oM8Xn4OYpe-aUoKFZkHX-J1mSmX4lnVMdZZ0Yu_oVCRF31nC14vYAjIdo1U/s1600/DSC_0540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmJv249yYEwwBBEAnbUxP38nZ3CBbW9pHchFumDSXKXi8TScnumNG404crqwOJH2xwrvtsjuCwP-Hr7Xs5oM8Xn4OYpe-aUoKFZkHX-J1mSmX4lnVMdZZ0Yu_oVCRF31nC14vYAjIdo1U/s320/DSC_0540.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
September 12: We left a wet and dreary Paris bright and
early at 6am to catch our flight to Vienna. Originally, we were flying directly
into Salzburg, but all flights routed through Vienna anyways that we decided to
make it a quick two-day stop over. We arrived at about 11am, collected our
bags, and again, with directions in hand found our way to yet another rented
apartment. However, this one far exceeds the rest! The pictures on the site
didn’t do it justice! Erich, the owner, must do this full time because he does
it right! It was spotless, well decorated, and everything a nice hotel suite would
have is available to us. I mean, I haven’t had a shower this nice….in about 13
months!</div>
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We dropped our bags off and headed to the city center which
is conveniently only a 12 minute walk away. We were both starving, so where did
we eat our first Austrian meal? An Asian buffet of course! Ha! Actually, it was
close to the apartment, well priced (compared the insane prices of Paris) and
delicious. The palate change was refreshing as well. I was getting a little
tired of eating pizza and sandwiches all the time. And I LOVE pizza and
sandwiches!</div>
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After lunch we just decided to scope out the city center.
It’s lined with historic buildings, shops, restaurants and cafes. We went in
and out of a few places, people watched and enjoyed the warmer weather. Double
layers were not needed. It was sunny, then it rained a bit, then it was sunny
again, so I hope the sun can pull through tomorrow.</div>
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We headed to the grocery store to buy some things for
breakfast and purchased a salad, a wrap, and some couscous to share for dinner.
Being that we are only here for two days, we wanted to go back to the apartment
early and plan out our full day tomorrow!</div>
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September 13: The weather was not very cooperative today; it
rained on and off all day long. We started our day at the Hofburg Palace, home
to some of the most powerful people in Austrian and European history and
perhaps most importantly; the Habsburg dynasty. From 1438-1583 and then from
1612-1806 it was the seat of kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire of the
German Nation, and then the seat of the Emperor of Austria until 1918. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJaAfJ_PLtypD8epKJhQeGuEGJ3DIPZhG_TIHpln7HgTwgM0o5b2Zy4sZrGTpXOc423tL9OeOJHRgQ0OlHcZzdnuEFhyU6Ckj75uKJrpc2K6lUYvdA_h4fRTm7Z1IaBxjP-zvzyUGdF-vl/s1600/DSC_0496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJaAfJ_PLtypD8epKJhQeGuEGJ3DIPZhG_TIHpln7HgTwgM0o5b2Zy4sZrGTpXOc423tL9OeOJHRgQ0OlHcZzdnuEFhyU6Ckj75uKJrpc2K6lUYvdA_h4fRTm7Z1IaBxjP-zvzyUGdF-vl/s320/DSC_0496.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hofburg Palace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For the cost of admission, we saw the imperial collection
of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dinnerware (the silver
collection), the Sisi Museum, and the living quarters of the royal family. Also
included in the cost was an audio tour which was great since we didn’t have a
free Rick Steves one for this.</div>
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The collection of flatware, dinnerware, drink ware, and
center pieces were quite extravagant. I mean, they were given their own museum!
The places settings ranged from solid gold to meticulously hand painted and
absolutely beautiful and over the top. I walked through, just day dreaming what
it must have been like to sit in a fancy ball gown, in an elaborate dinning
hall, eating off of plates made of gold! Talk about living like a queen.</div>
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Next was the Sisi museum, dedicated to Elisabeth of Austria.
Married to Emperor Franz Joseph I, at age 16, she was….ummm…interesting. The
museum was actually quite dark and depressing, but I think that was the point.
She struggled with her public role and was not very liked by the people because
of her reclusiveness. She went though several bouts of depression, would go
away for years at a time, and was obsessive about her weight. In today’s,
terms, she would have been called bulimic. She was later assassinated at the
age of 61.</div>
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Last on the palace tour were the rooms and private quarters
of the emperor and empress. Sadly, no pictures were allowed in both the Sisi
museum and the apartments. Much like the palace of Versailles, but these rooms
were furnished with more original furniture which was cool to see. The audio
guide was really helpful. I learned so much about the history of this royal
family. Super interesting!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZb4YOcyhCuBtgPzMB0f-y_vtK3TnN820-wGvqk47GH-zoNF3tTDCkoqsUZw8wFF0n-u9eIeUpBiRD8MqgvjzpVpF00BatywSHifKhAhsFULG5MHbczhmsUvC7d1LsrHlXEf241pU9JWs/s1600/DSC_0518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZb4YOcyhCuBtgPzMB0f-y_vtK3TnN820-wGvqk47GH-zoNF3tTDCkoqsUZw8wFF0n-u9eIeUpBiRD8MqgvjzpVpF00BatywSHifKhAhsFULG5MHbczhmsUvC7d1LsrHlXEf241pU9JWs/s320/DSC_0518.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Stephens</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our next stop was St. Stephen’s Cathedral. We had a Rick
Steves podcast to accompany our visit which enables us to get so much more out
of the site. Built between 1339-1365, it stands at the very center of Vienna. A
gothic styled cathedral, it had a very similar look and feel to that of Notre
Dame. It was pretty to walk around, but I’m not really into that dark type of
architecture. It’s not a “warm and welcoming, let’s thank God for all our
blessings” kind of places. But I was gald we went in, we leaned a lot from the
podcast.</div>
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Our last stop was yet another podcast. It was a walking tour
of Vienna’s city center. We made started at the famous opera house and ended at
the palace where we started our day. It was nice because things were pointed
out to us along the way we never would have noticed or stopped in. Once place
we visited was Demel Chocolate. Founded in 1786; but it has been at it’s
current location since 1857. They use to provide chocolate to the Emperor and
Empress! So of course, we went in, bought a chocolate bar and a slice of carrot
cake!</div>
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It started pouring again, so we grabbed some food from the
grocery store and headed back to our apartment. It was such an educational and
low-key stop off. We felt like we were in a small city (even though 1.8 million
people live in Vienna) and really enjoyed our time just walking the streets.</div>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>CHARMING SALZBURG</b></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelNIVrHtKYQTozRjh-hDeID64KoPptkhOME9ZR-Xfy1LUbbK1AbD7ZXKLhQEc83KPclPibNO3xZ3hBRu3WQGoYO0-YVOVA5DQ9fTCKbn7wLo6IHGACURwmqqiHmVKm4Pzukz2YOAAXQw-/s1600/DSC_0626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelNIVrHtKYQTozRjh-hDeID64KoPptkhOME9ZR-Xfy1LUbbK1AbD7ZXKLhQEc83KPclPibNO3xZ3hBRu3WQGoYO0-YVOVA5DQ9fTCKbn7wLo6IHGACURwmqqiHmVKm4Pzukz2YOAAXQw-/s320/DSC_0626.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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September 14: “The hills are alive, with the sound of
muuuuuusic!” No scratch that, “with the sight of heavy fog.”</div>
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We left Vienna at 10:56 via train to Salzburg. We made it to
the train just fine, but it was a bit confusing once we arrived. With like no
one working there, we didn’t know where we were supposed to sit. All we knew
that that we had a second class ticket, but weren’t sure if it was free seating
after that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After just getting on
and looking like confused tourists, another passenger cleared things up for us.
So frustrating when there is no one at the information booth! Anyways, it was a
quick three-hour train ride with lovely views of German style houses, beautiful
farmland, and mountains.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBIGUdqwCoR3uso5-Y0mCNJOCnabUb8ZUP5Ab7-QNsyJ5pSmAaAS58-iUgiuQyfNizz3n-ij0K99yZsb1VHRw6QCCl9FT8W-m-hHFBxoKlpMZ1aJw0AEDW8mKGv8kI2b8sr3kEItVVVK-/s1600/DSC_0673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBIGUdqwCoR3uso5-Y0mCNJOCnabUb8ZUP5Ab7-QNsyJ5pSmAaAS58-iUgiuQyfNizz3n-ij0K99yZsb1VHRw6QCCl9FT8W-m-hHFBxoKlpMZ1aJw0AEDW8mKGv8kI2b8sr3kEItVVVK-/s320/DSC_0673.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mozart's Pedestrian Bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Salzburg is simply just the most charming little city of
150,000 people. Our hotel is not in the city center, we have to take a bus
about 10 minutes to get there, but it’s nice none the less. We dropped our bags
off and then ventured out. We wanted to start this leg of the trip getting
oriented so we headed to the beginning of yet another free Rick Steves city
walking tour. However, about five minutes in, the rain just got too comical to
continue. It was pouring and blowing in sideways. Our clothes were getting
soaked and there really weren’t many places to take cover. So after a light
lunch, we headed back to the hotel.</div>
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At 6:30pm we headed to the grocery store right behind the
hotel (the only thing near us) but to our shock it was closed! They close at
6pm on Saturdays! Well, that was our dinner plan, so now we had to search for
something else….in the rain. Besides the grocery store, the only thing close to
us food wise is a McDonald’s. Ugh, we had no other choice. We ate our burgers
and then returned to the hotel to watch the ‘Sound of Music’ so we were ready
for tomorrow! Fingers crossed that the weather tomorrow is a little bit more
cooperative!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZB9ypkejVd5kwH9R2nLK7XTzhjgogX5ESCJvUXKLT2dzXkLo1jzQ2ua2KJYXFcZB012lLEVXtar9HoiMObAKRf7AgkDeVyzLD5KIQcK8gZqZXlZaz4fk52BM1XER0902VaIYSPwpaI9ju/s1600/DSC_0644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZB9ypkejVd5kwH9R2nLK7XTzhjgogX5ESCJvUXKLT2dzXkLo1jzQ2ua2KJYXFcZB012lLEVXtar9HoiMObAKRf7AgkDeVyzLD5KIQcK8gZqZXlZaz4fk52BM1XER0902VaIYSPwpaI9ju/s200/DSC_0644.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
September15: Today is the day! We took a gamble on the
weather and booked a four-hour Sound of Music tour for 9:30am. We were picked
up at our hotel at 9am and collected a few more tour-goers on the way to the
large charter bus covered in an obnoxious scene from the movie and the worlds”
The Official Sound of Music Tour” pasted along the sides. So cheesy, but I
loved it! Our tour guide, Natasha, was fantastic and so animated. It made the
whole experience even that more enjoyable.</div>
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Along the way, between stops, we were given not only movie
facts, but also a great tour and history of the real Von Trapp family as well
as Salzburg itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It felt like a
two for one tour!</div>
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Our fist stop was the beautiful “Von Trapp house” in the
movie, (it was not actually the Von Trapp <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFBVaSPDh-cMsvI4Ej57-PVKKqdTx3PNXSR7rP8qZwpX468eLyB90cD43_XbPXiBiSQmF1e9zjq-2XSoNNfCcuJkdCIWTPuUJSpo6A3mJaEPwk8u9B6Sts76VQkxUC-2kF0EkF4Dw6ddC/s1600/DSC_0568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFBVaSPDh-cMsvI4Ej57-PVKKqdTx3PNXSR7rP8qZwpX468eLyB90cD43_XbPXiBiSQmF1e9zjq-2XSoNNfCcuJkdCIWTPuUJSpo6A3mJaEPwk8u9B6Sts76VQkxUC-2kF0EkF4Dw6ddC/s320/DSC_0568.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
home). The backyard of this house was
used in the film, but filming was not allowed to take place inside the house,
and the house itself wasn’t supposed to be recognizable. It’s now the
Leopoldskron Palace and was once the home of a famous Jewish Austrian that had
to flee during the Nazi overtake. The sensitivity of the matter and the timing of
the movie made it not possible to film in the house. The pond however, where
the children and Maria fall out of the little canoe, is government owned and
therefore they were allowed to film in it. The shots of the outside of the
house from the front, remember it’s yellow, was a totally different house which
we were able to see from across another street. Sadly, we could not go in as
it’s privately owned. Any scenes filmed in the inside of the house were
actually filmed in a studio in California. But the rooms were modeled after the
Leopoldskron Palace. There is so much more info I’d love to share, but this
blog post would be WAY too long. Regardless, the palace was absolutely stunning
and the scenery was breathtaking!</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHix0LFlvhUwJMQxjOMrnHmLKjwARrpKCT8nsYfKvT_uar16xagVAUQlh5WQrs094shRfmTZN0yiPhXs6LI9ihSGEf_Bq_PyjpHIiEKkmiNqXhhR6ogW3Bv0p-jzHpchWVCUv3Pg0OhnrO/s1600/DSC_0581_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHix0LFlvhUwJMQxjOMrnHmLKjwARrpKCT8nsYfKvT_uar16xagVAUQlh5WQrs094shRfmTZN0yiPhXs6LI9ihSGEf_Bq_PyjpHIiEKkmiNqXhhR6ogW3Bv0p-jzHpchWVCUv3Pg0OhnrO/s200/DSC_0581_2.JPG" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me 'leaping'!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next stop was the gazebo. Where “I am 16 going on 17”,
and “Must Have Done Something Good” were sung. It was not actually a part of
the gardens of the Leopoldskron Palace, the producers brought it in. It has
since been removed from the garden and passed around. No one wanted it because
of how many tourists flocked to it. It ended up in the corner of another palace
which we got to see. Sadly it’s locked and we learned that the dancing scene in
it was once again, filmed in a studio, in a mock gazebo. But it was still so
fun to see!</div>
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Along the drive we were able to see Nonnberg Abbey, where
Maria was practicing to be a nun. The drive itself was so gorgeous. Nonnbery
Abbey allowed them to film some scenes there but not the wedding scene. That
was filmed at a different church in a different city. Mondsee Church was
another site we drove to and were allowed to go in. The town it’s in was having
a harvest festival so it was fun to see the residents walking around in
traditional dress. Andrew and I bought two brats and apple strudel for lunch
after touring the church. I can’t describe the beauty of this city and our
pictures just don’t do it justice.</div>
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We also walked through the Mirabell Gardens where much of
the “Do Re Mi” song was filmed. Mirabell garden is so beautiful filled with
perfectly manicured trees, flowers and fountains. No wonder they shot some of
the scenes there! We walked across the Motzart pedestrian bridge, saw where
they filmed the kids playing in the trees, where they sang as a family at the
festival before escaping, as well as several other little memorable
scenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even had a sing-along
on the bus as the movie soundtrack was played! Seriously so cheesy and so much
fun! I loved every minute of this tour!!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpKsgaSlvHRseUSzG7mRVJhyphenhypheng8fhUdxUTKT6Q3sKdcciQXsvRTpSdLhYmI4Re1xU6a4z-h0htWO70KYew6nsgvqXALFrVxpxZ-1njfQBx8CHrvx11iw3ZdNW9PTXjiIahMZy-_B93yWVE/s1600/DSC_0647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpKsgaSlvHRseUSzG7mRVJhyphenhypheng8fhUdxUTKT6Q3sKdcciQXsvRTpSdLhYmI4Re1xU6a4z-h0htWO70KYew6nsgvqXALFrVxpxZ-1njfQBx8CHrvx11iw3ZdNW9PTXjiIahMZy-_B93yWVE/s320/DSC_0647.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mirabell Gardens - Can you picture "Do-Re-Mi?!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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After the tour, Andrew and I decided to finish the Rick
Steves audio walking tour that yesterday’s weather did not allow. It led us all
around the old city and into two different beautiful churches and a graveyard.
We even got to see the house where Motzart grew up. We really lucked out on the<br />
weather and were so thankful for that. It was such a great day and we learned
SO MUCH about Salzburg and The Sound of Music!</div>
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September 16: Rain, rain go away! Our plan today was to tour
the fortress that looks down over all of Salzburg, Festung Hohensalzburg. Built
in 1077, it housed many prince-archbishops. It’s also the largest, most intact
castle in all of Europe. It took us about 15 minutes to walk to the top, in the
pouring rain. Honestly, it was a huge bust. Part of it was the weather and part
of it was the poorly marked fortress itself. Being that it’s one of the biggest
tour attractions in Salzburg, you’d think there would be direction signs
telling you where to go and things labeled in English. Not the case at all. We
moseyed around, went into a few disappointing ‘museums’ and climbed the tour to
get a full view of Salzburg while listening to the audio tour. I’ll admit that
the view was pretty great and would have been so much better had it not been so
cloudy and rainy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thankful for
the perspective the tower gave us on the town but if we ever make it back to
Salzburg, it’s a site I would skip.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEike2beJzpFqDCiCWT061dLbzfpXWbOw0y5UmuXfARwELfYYjqwrYaifJtz8DkWG-xzRGqaCoiLmF8R7Z-JV9ZcJWa3w0N4zfA8KcqnKcy97vOHdcOxQsJ59an_psTj78avha_PemJfbBX9/s1600/DSC_0674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEike2beJzpFqDCiCWT061dLbzfpXWbOw0y5UmuXfARwELfYYjqwrYaifJtz8DkWG-xzRGqaCoiLmF8R7Z-JV9ZcJWa3w0N4zfA8KcqnKcy97vOHdcOxQsJ59an_psTj78avha_PemJfbBX9/s320/DSC_0674.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fortress...in the rain.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All in all, Salzburg has been one of my favorite stops. Its
charm, gorgeous sites and small town feel make it a place I would love to come
back to. I love the laidback lifestyle and I could never get sick of the views!
My ONE complaint is that there are seriously no restaurants. It’s very hard to
find a place to eat that isn’t a café serving only café foods. We got a little
tired of eating Weiner schnitzel’s and kebabs. </div>
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We will be returning to Austria, mark my words!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWDwndsLxITDGJ_sLWPxImNA2ebFTreM7tQflbr7S1X9ehQAEu-hvxHwBtXR_wae-srsV9v3WIDTgV1BlCOkCuvfozbfYkIxEl7jAIza6jJMrMSPC3AHrAFr-WLkwqJxT8aBCiH6mwQQk/s1600/DSC_0598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWDwndsLxITDGJ_sLWPxImNA2ebFTreM7tQflbr7S1X9ehQAEu-hvxHwBtXR_wae-srsV9v3WIDTgV1BlCOkCuvfozbfYkIxEl7jAIza6jJMrMSPC3AHrAFr-WLkwqJxT8aBCiH6mwQQk/s320/DSC_0598.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I have confidence in ME!" --On her way to the Von Trapps</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_gkOeiCMFK1_uARVCZ4bVxmqa9EZvtW0-zd1AjKH3gAuxIYMsFSt_9W9e8luc540ZI_7xF9m0p10ifU-AWCBAaGAK_mqwRPB0YsRpkYiJRvVUvlWKyNfunQ9DOT7VmgBpE-bRkglyzmc/s1600/DSC_0631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_gkOeiCMFK1_uARVCZ4bVxmqa9EZvtW0-zd1AjKH3gAuxIYMsFSt_9W9e8luc540ZI_7xF9m0p10ifU-AWCBAaGAK_mqwRPB0YsRpkYiJRvVUvlWKyNfunQ9DOT7VmgBpE-bRkglyzmc/s320/DSC_0631.JPG" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedding Cathedral </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZAeeJsrph0RiIht7UaxB1uz4xOs0u_CQ3rG9bnYSNLusmh7vjxDoH1d7U6LfXVbutgckGmedqqTprUEv164qeMh0e71dGI8LbSKtE2ZbMBGUXWMXA9xFG3pxyfKqtGN4qcDD3q5Pd6wC/s1600/DSC_0661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZAeeJsrph0RiIht7UaxB1uz4xOs0u_CQ3rG9bnYSNLusmh7vjxDoH1d7U6LfXVbutgckGmedqqTprUEv164qeMh0e71dGI8LbSKtE2ZbMBGUXWMXA9xFG3pxyfKqtGN4qcDD3q5Pd6wC/s320/DSC_0661.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Do-Re-Mi" --They ride their bikes through this tunnel!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com1Austria47.516231 14.55007242.04268 4.2229235 52.989782 24.8772205tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-90398655659497001892013-09-11T13:09:00.000-07:002013-09-11T13:09:17.573-07:00'LOVE'-ly Paris<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4e3lclzCgQBEtjZSK8dr36kIbYVt4wl2RXWtozqnPuQAGY61TB0Uxj2p9eCNV9XIM6ffD79XNd4JBvrv7PV1mx9UmTFAoQuoRfKYtcbJTA4OcbpGncjuVppi_OUH51Dwq9dwLchsmo4GT/s1600/DSC_0337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4e3lclzCgQBEtjZSK8dr36kIbYVt4wl2RXWtozqnPuQAGY61TB0Uxj2p9eCNV9XIM6ffD79XNd4JBvrv7PV1mx9UmTFAoQuoRfKYtcbJTA4OcbpGncjuVppi_OUH51Dwq9dwLchsmo4GT/s320/DSC_0337.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>September 7: </b>Paris!! Today we flew from Venice to Paris via
EasyJet.; cheap, no frills, transportation and nothing exciting to report
there. We landed, and once again, with email directions in hand and Magellan by
my side, we made our way through the Paris public transport system to get to
yet another rented apartment via Wimdu. It took us just about an hour to get
there but we made it with no issues! This apartment is much smaller than
Venice, but it’s in a great location right next to the metro station with is
always key when booking a place.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today was also the day that we were waiting to find out if
we had a new niece or nephew so the first thing we did was connect to the
internet to find out what was going on with Allison. Poor, sweet Allison was in
labor a long time and we were waiting with bated breath all through the night
so we both didn’t get much sleep. But I’m ecstatic to report that she delivered
a perfectly beautiful baby girl, Claire!!</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ItyT5XMhUYKIr3Xh-99RrsofhoFO4uPAjolrJWaonii-Qvc5g70tNmCfVrj1_y8ed93NSA1ml8Hd9WLZffHepI1_6VT7d8Mn4f_YxXyL9Bob7AzR9Hpab8l40YhTjSxcZY-6P31f3MHq/s1600/DSC_0133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ItyT5XMhUYKIr3Xh-99RrsofhoFO4uPAjolrJWaonii-Qvc5g70tNmCfVrj1_y8ed93NSA1ml8Hd9WLZffHepI1_6VT7d8Mn4f_YxXyL9Bob7AzR9Hpab8l40YhTjSxcZY-6P31f3MHq/s200/DSC_0133.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the tower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>September 8:</b> Our first full day in Paris and we decided to
tour Notre Dame Cathedral first. We waited in line for about 45 minutes for
what we thought was the line to get in. Well, rookie mistake, it wasn’t. We
were actually in the line to buy tickets for the 400 stair climb to the top of
the towers! We had already waited that long, so we bought the tickets and began
the climb. Talk about tight spaces! It was the narrowest, most spiraled
staircase I had ever been in and we both started feeling a bit queezy looking
down and just walking up for so long. But the view was stunning! We saw a
panoramic view of all of Paris and got a front row seat to the bell tower that
chimed the most beautiful song! We snapped our pictures and then made our
decent to what we thought was the sanctuary. Wrong again! Our travel sensors
were off today. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgU0iMC3sLEnguHRwwzKgp0s2ea9KUammc-haTx4Pev9XYD5DVnxjbhZAWUEe0p8sxCUxRqvD-y5aEV6np-Eoi8Yy0E7jplo7U0Y8CdMa5F-yNmgWcI0rpJG4-L_PTZX4ZhWKYg-8SFGvd/s1600/DSC_0159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgU0iMC3sLEnguHRwwzKgp0s2ea9KUammc-haTx4Pev9XYD5DVnxjbhZAWUEe0p8sxCUxRqvD-y5aEV6np-Eoi8Yy0E7jplo7U0Y8CdMa5F-yNmgWcI0rpJG4-L_PTZX4ZhWKYg-8SFGvd/s200/DSC_0159.JPG" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Notre Dame</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
We had to wait in another line to enter the cathedral where
morning mass was actually going on. It was yet another stunning European church
with gorgeous stained glass windows. So beautiful!</div>
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We decided to walk around a bit and found out selves at the
Lock bridge. A famous bridge in Paris where lovers write their names on a pad
lock, and then throw the key into the river symbolizing their love lasting
forever. There were so many locks it was pretty incredible. We didn’t leave
one, but we still have a few days! </div>
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We walked a bit more just enjoying the beautiful buildings
that line the streets of Paris. Every building is so pretty and historic
looking it looks like a bunch of fancy museums everywhere! We made our way to
the last stop of the day which was Saint-Chapelle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Built by orders from King Louis XI between 1242 to 1248, it
was to house the relics of the Passion of Christ. It’s not too big but it’s
lined with 14 huge, floor to ceiling stained glass windows that depict biblical
scenes from creation through the resurrection of Christ. A theme similar to the
Sistine Chapel, but instead of paint, it was done in stained glass.
Breathtaking!!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdxkTh9xIakjkYvys6okUm_xlztAIO1INZ17gXtjMR8bEDjfVXtOnnARYobQhoV5vHUaLA-lzWCk431Q7aYBYt73E7HM1q09IV170-5zX626_b2YKEutW4iKqvONf6aV0XeUL4ER42bKC/s1600/DSC_0188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdxkTh9xIakjkYvys6okUm_xlztAIO1INZ17gXtjMR8bEDjfVXtOnnARYobQhoV5vHUaLA-lzWCk431Q7aYBYt73E7HM1q09IV170-5zX626_b2YKEutW4iKqvONf6aV0XeUL4ER42bKC/s200/DSC_0188.JPG" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saint-Chapelle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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For dinner, we went to Chipotle! Being deprived of it for 13
months, Andrew was so excited when he found out there was one in Paris. So we
skipped out on a lavish Parisian dinner and indulged our Mexican food craving
by toasting burritos!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fabulous day
in Paris!<sup><o:p></o:p></sup></div>
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<b>September 9:</b> We have been so lucky with weather on this trip
that I knew that luck would have to run out sometime. We started our day at the
Arc de Triomphe, one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It honors all those
who fought and died for France in both the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic
Wars. Just beneath the arc lies the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War
I. You can pay to go up to the top, but we decided against it so we just took
some pictures around it.</div>
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We then made our way down the famous Champs-Elysees Avenue.
It is lined with expensive shops and cafes and is said to be the most famous
and one of the most expensive strips of real estate in the world! Well, just as
we began our window shopping it started to downpour! We immediately took cover
in a café, which was a huge mistake. Did I mention it’s one of the most
expensive streets in the world?! Ya, we paid entirely too much for two crepes,
tea and a hot chocolate, but we enjoyed staying dry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0Q02jn6TKN_lFOg0-2wfLjENIRuRCjPn2bFxL6k5LSE6GwQN8lWMLrV9T7IeKXnY2KZLZrO9sytYF6lPTZZ93SXy-KhkeKLbYPmJFQa8DgYocf-gliGLELFC3LbusbO0f8cKf535ZJuO/s1600/DSC_0208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0Q02jn6TKN_lFOg0-2wfLjENIRuRCjPn2bFxL6k5LSE6GwQN8lWMLrV9T7IeKXnY2KZLZrO9sytYF6lPTZZ93SXy-KhkeKLbYPmJFQa8DgYocf-gliGLELFC3LbusbO0f8cKf535ZJuO/s320/DSC_0208.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arc de Triomphe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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When it was time to leave, we bared the sideways rain for a
few minutes before ducking into an overhang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We continued this cycle for about twenty minutes before we
decided that it was nuts and took the subway the two stops to the famous Louvre
Museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>EVERYONE else had the same
idea, so we had to wait in a line for about 45 minutes to purchase the tickets.
As the world’s most visited museum, it houses nearly 35,000 artifacts from
prehistory to the 21<sup>st</sup> century, and covers more that 60,600 square
meters! It’s super overwhelming! We decided to take the Rick Steves downloaded
pod cast and walked around for about an hour and a half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From statues to jewels, to tapestry and
paintings, I have never seen so much art! And of course, the finale is the Mona
Lisa. Pretty fun to see in person! I wish we would have been able to take some
better pictures outside with the glass pyramid because the courtyard to the
museum is really beautiful but it was still raining. Boo!</div>
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We made our way back to the area of our apartment, grabbed a
bite to eat at a local café and called it day.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3wK8WCw-zAMz0Gm4ye-9whWdawcMBrHEr6j2tVDdYa_0uVcdOOH8HwaE_PO4micqLvcweEAsQZKTRqrwoFljdR_UtAhLJRkkEb4eQID3DuAK5pLH_xAExWgYUcZ4xvxIXGOuQMYDpziv/s1600/DSC_0239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3wK8WCw-zAMz0Gm4ye-9whWdawcMBrHEr6j2tVDdYa_0uVcdOOH8HwaE_PO4micqLvcweEAsQZKTRqrwoFljdR_UtAhLJRkkEb4eQID3DuAK5pLH_xAExWgYUcZ4xvxIXGOuQMYDpziv/s320/DSC_0239.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Louvre listening to a podcast.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>September 10:</b> The sun was out but it was still very chilly.
I forgot to mention that Paris has been unusually cold since we got here. We
came from sweaty shorts and t-shirts at the beginning of our European adventure
and have now been wearing jeans and jackets the whole time. We weren’t quite
ready for such a drastic change in temperature.</div>
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Anyways, we decided to go back to Champs-Elysees Avenue
since we weren’t really able to take it all in yesterday. We just walked
around, ventured into a few shops and enjoyed the people watching scene. At
about 3:00pm we made our way to the climatic event in Paris; the Eiffel Tower!
Scared of the line that awaited us, we were pleasantly surprised by the lack of
people! I mean, there were tons of people, but we ended up only waiting about
25 minutes! It was perfect because we had an 18 minute podcast on the history
of the tower to listen to.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsE37RGhEVF9cWv3iIBzJu9dVDr2j3OB61YzWJQxrDxYv_1zSSt5vutLW6kHG1nQtvdWzNDEYDCjFYuVMfyxj_bbiDo_XBmq7W2_IIerGlE1VRSkAP6Yj3paVi7wZ9QcTaVHMtZUIsARE8/s1600/DSC_0278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsE37RGhEVF9cWv3iIBzJu9dVDr2j3OB61YzWJQxrDxYv_1zSSt5vutLW6kHG1nQtvdWzNDEYDCjFYuVMfyxj_bbiDo_XBmq7W2_IIerGlE1VRSkAP6Yj3paVi7wZ9QcTaVHMtZUIsARE8/s200/DSC_0278.JPG" width="131" /></a></div>
It was erected in 1889 as the entrance to the 1889 World’s
Fair. The French people actually loathed the tower and wanted it to come down
after the fair. The French government told the engineer, Gustave Eiffel, that
it could stay up for 20 years so that he could make back his investment from
the ticket sales. He actually made his money back by the time the fair ended!!
Not wanting to see the tower destroyed, Gustave attached a radio tower to the
top and sold the idea to the French government who could use it for military
purposes. And well, the rest is history! More than 250 million people have
ascended to the top!</div>
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There are two line options when you get to the tower. The
first line is for a ticket to take the elevator directly to the top. The
second, is to buy tickets to take the elevator from the second floor, a 600
step climb up to the elevator. We chose the latter. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Yes, Andrew and I huffed and puffed and butt burned our way
600 stairs up. Honestly, it didn’t look that high until we started to climb! We
took some photos from the second floor platform and then rode to the top.
Andrew isn’t the biggest fan of heights, so I was so proud when we decided to
join me to the top after some serious contemplation. He even managed to stand
on the ledge for a few seconds to take a picture with me! What a good sport!
After we walked the circumference of the peak, taking more pictures it began to
rain! We made our way down to the enclosed area and waited it out a bit. I
wasn’t about to descend 600 metal stairs in the rain. When it finally let up,
we rode the elevator to the second floor and then took the stairs the rest of
the way.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the windy top!</td></tr>
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Honestly, I got a little emotional when we were at the top.
It’s so cheesy I know, but it was just one of those moments that you dream
about experiencing, and you never really know if you will. And I was lucky
enough to do it with Andrew by my side. Sheesh, life doesn’t get much better!</div>
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We walked around for a little while trying to find a
reasonable place to eat and kill some time before 9pm and they tower lights up.
We found a little café, not really very reasonable but it was good. After we
finished we made our way back to the courtyard of the tower, enjoyed a crepe
and waited for the sparkly lights to begin. As if the Eiffel Tower isn’t
magical enough, the sight of the sparkling lights for five minutes really capped
off such a memorable day!<br />
<br />
<i>(**For whatever reason, our computer won't load any photos after the daytime Eiffel Tower pictures. We will try to figure out the issue before the next blog. Sorry no gorgeous night pictures of the tower or Versailles. )</i></div>
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<b>September 11:</b> I am sitting on the bed in our rented
apartment, drinking cheap and delicious champagne out of an ‘I love Paris’
coffee mug, in denial that this is our last night in the city of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>love. These last few days have been so
dreamlike, I can’t explain it. Paris has a feeling about it that makes you
forget that any other place in the world exists.</div>
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For our final day in France, we took the short 30 minute
train ride to The Palace of Versailles. We weren’t sure the weather would hold
out as it was cloudy, cold, and starting to spit but it was our last day and a ‘must
see’ while in Paris. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hit a
little speed bump trying to get there. You see, Paris as two systems; the metro
and the RER. The metro is what we used to get around the city, and some metro
stations will take you to the RER trains. These trains take commuters further
out of the city than the metro. Confused? Ya, we were a little bit too.
Especially when you look at the public transport map and all the lines look the
same.</div>
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Anyways, we made it to the correct RER station and needed to
purchase a ticket to Versailles. Well, the ticket machine would not take our
credit card (all the other machines had) and didn’t accept cash; only coins.
The problem with this is that now we were stuck. There was no place to make
change inside this ticket purchasing area and the help desk person was out.
Annoyed, I went around asking several people if they could give me coin change
for a five Euro bill. FINALLY, after 20 minutes of searching we found someone.
It just amazes me that that situation even exists. Why don’t they just put a
change machine by the ticket booth? There were several other people while we
were there with the same problem…super annoying!</div>
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Everyone must have thought the weather was not going to hold out because we waited in absolutely no lines at all! And it wasn't even that crowded. So lucky!The
kingdom of Versailles was the center of power in France from 1682 until the
royal family was forced back to Pairs in 1789 during the French Revolution.
Built by Louis XIV this palace is nothing short of spectacular! The palace itself
is gorgeous, but the gardens are just massive and perfectly manicured. I’m sure
the site is even more beautiful in the spring and summer when everything is in
bloom, but we still got quite the eye full. Too bad it was so chilly and windy.
We would have loved to explored more by renting bikes and going all around. But
our ears were already too cold that we didn’t really feel up for a bike ride. We spent the whole afternoon on the grounds of the palace.
Listening to a pod cast tour, snapping pictures and imagining what it must have
been like to live there. Such a fun outing!</div>
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We feel so lucky to have toured this beautiful city for four
full days. There is so much more to do that someday, we will have to return.
Tomorrow we head back east for a quick two day stop in Vienna, Austria. Sausage
anyone?<br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com1Paris, France48.856614 2.352221900000017748.6894645 2.0294984000000178 49.0237635 2.6749454000000177tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-12085789254321492232013-09-07T12:13:00.000-07:002013-09-07T12:13:52.505-07:00Dreamlike Venice<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oWO6JxjajgMo-oPbUADJOIjJokg7HUXweG5kMf1p7QCe7Be5msXvkcFDJB76AVjJJm4-YLlhPgU4V3Yf__6lYhSkjxY3mG6Hsj282FNGlpjFtcH-iYuuSagvgl84yN6PqX2T3oO_eCox/s1600/DSC_0155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oWO6JxjajgMo-oPbUADJOIjJokg7HUXweG5kMf1p7QCe7Be5msXvkcFDJB76AVjJJm4-YLlhPgU4V3Yf__6lYhSkjxY3mG6Hsj282FNGlpjFtcH-iYuuSagvgl84yN6PqX2T3oO_eCox/s320/DSC_0155.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>September 3: </b>Today we left our Roman apartment at 9:15am to
catch the train to the main train station in Rome, where we would catch a
different train to Venice. We got there in what we thought was plenty of time.
Went into the little grocery store to buy some sandwiches, chips, and water for
lunch during the six hour train ride and then took a seat. When the board
finally showed which platform our train was taking off from, we realized that
we were on the total opposite side of the station! With 10 minutes before the
train departed, we hustled to the other end trying to find how to get to
platform six! The train station was so poorly marked and there was no one to
ask for help! With only two minutes to spare, we made it on the train; thank
goodness there was a five-minute delay!</div>
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The six hour train ride was actually quite pleasant. The
seats were comfortable and it was great to get to see a lot of the country out
of the windows! We arrived and once again were staying in a rented apartment.
With Google translated directions in hand, we walked 20 minutes to the
apartment. To our surprise, the <a href="https://www.wimdu.com/offers/3FRTV2I4" target="_blank">place was fantastic!</a> Two bedrooms, large bathroom,
living room and a full kitchen all to ourselves! The host was very sweet. She
didn’t speak English, so when she was giving us instructions, Andrew and I put
our charade skills to use. Italian is pretty similar to Spanish, and with our
combined knowledge, we were able to communicate ok. The only downside to this
place, no wi-fi. Boo.</div>
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She left and we went to the grocery store to buy a few
things. We decided to cook dinner because I was craving some protein. I mean, I
adore my carbohydrates, but enough is enough! We decided to make a chicken and
spinach salad and sip on some $2.00 wine! </div>
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<b>September 4</b>: The apartment is located just outside of Venice.
It’s in a quiet, non-touristy neighborhood that makes us really feel like
locals! We are only a ten-minute walk from the bus stop and an easy ten-minute
bus ride into the heart of Venice.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ScC19JW5EKgleQ_gpYHMPacZL51YtbPgoC5CHVd7nB4B4TkIJ47T3xg_SBWchDfPVeM7LRxQSj8O6LlPj479kkLd5FNvO-liejyzXdQhs3RCk54FyKfO8GL5zlYIm3ThsIKooWySWR4c/s1600/DSC_0184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ScC19JW5EKgleQ_gpYHMPacZL51YtbPgoC5CHVd7nB4B4TkIJ47T3xg_SBWchDfPVeM7LRxQSj8O6LlPj479kkLd5FNvO-liejyzXdQhs3RCk54FyKfO8GL5zlYIm3ThsIKooWySWR4c/s320/DSC_0184.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our romantic gondola ride!</td></tr>
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Venice is just like in the movies! A dreamlike city built
around canals. Instead of cars, there are boats and gondolas, and the streets
are lined with souvenir shops and cafes. Love, love, love! We had read that
Venice is very difficult to navigate even with a map. Well, leave it to
Magellan. We had a crappy photocopied map but he got us around just fine. We
spent the day just walking around soaking it all in. We hit the famous Piazza
San Marco and it’s beautiful Basilica. We ate a real Italian lunch consisting
of pizza and lasagna and then of course, we had to have gelato. </div>
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When you think of Venice what’s the first thing you think
of? A romantic gondola ride through the canals looking up at colorful apartment
buildings lined with beautiful flower beds? Well, that’s what we think of too
and that’s what we did! For way too much money, we took a wonderful ride
through the canals and under the bridges. It was such a beautiful perspective
of the city. I wish it would have lasted all day! Such a dream! After the gondola ride finished, we made our way back to the
main entrance to catch the bus back to our apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was truly a beautiful day!</div>
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<b>September 5:</b> On our way out of Venice yesterday, we went to
the information counter to ask a few questions and we ended up booking a tour
for today! For a very reasonable price, we booked a half-day islands tour. It’s
important to remember that Venice is actually an island its self surrounded by
other little islands! Our 4.5 hour tour began at 2:30pm from San Marco. So we
spent the few hours before walking around Venice and eating the most delicious
pizza lunch until it was time to disembark. We boarded the boat with about 75
other tourists and headed to our first island of Murano. Murano is home to the
famous Venetian glass blowers. We got off the boat and immediately ushered into
a glass blowers shop for a demonstration. It’s truly amazing how they heat and
cool and shape the glass into <br />
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anything they can imagine. We saw them create a
vase as well as a small horse. Sadly, we didn’t end up buying anything as it
would be too hard to make the journey and not break. We were then given about
30 minutes to mosey around before having to board the boat again. The next stop on our tour was the island of Torcello.
Torcello was actually the first of all the islands to be inhabited and was once
the home of more than 20,000 people. Today, it’s home to only 16! Honestly,
there was nothing to see on this small little island but I’m sure it was a
bustling little town in it’s prime.</div>
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The last stop on the tour was Burano. And wow…it looked
straight out of a movie set! An adorable little island known for it’s beautiful
lace and different, brightly colored homes. We stopped at a specific shop and
met with Olga, the owner of the lace shop. We were given a short demonstration
and then were given a chance to look around the store. Such beautiful lace
pieces (and for those of you who don’t know, I LOVE LACE!) We spent the next 30
minutes walking the movieesque’ island taking in the beautiful site!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burano!</td></tr>
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At the end of the tour, we left Venice and caught the bus
back to our little town for a bite to eat before calling it a night!</div>
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<br /><b>September 6:</b> A “local day,” is what we called it. We spent
our last day in Italy living like the locals. We took advantage of the washing
machine in our apartment and did all our laundry. We went to the market and
picked up ingredients for a picnic lunch. We sat on sheet in the nearby park
eating our lunch and playing cards. It was just what we needed! After almost
two weeks of being on the move, we took the time to just have no agenda. It’s
important to us to build days like this into our travels. Or else the trip just
seems to flash by in the blink of an eye it’s hard to truly appreciate all that
we’ve seen and experienced. We ended the day by cooking a delicious dinner and
preparing ourselves for what Paris has to offer!<br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0Venice, Italy45.4408474 12.31551509999997145.396279400000005 12.23483409999997 45.4854154 12.396196099999971tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-59202115494986224062013-09-02T09:50:00.000-07:002013-09-02T09:50:58.707-07:00Amor Roma<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49SQTDmLubGg3R_-JrzyG_SMqvkkGnSBj5wvuCZfin6GFYgRzHD1lID9MXNNBrldCIDd4fTdQ17KJdiBKZ9GVLeu4B37eOTWVMETHloFzp54N_ntwsjIR-_Who1tTSN5eUqOrrwrE5m2-/s1600/DSC_0697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49SQTDmLubGg3R_-JrzyG_SMqvkkGnSBj5wvuCZfin6GFYgRzHD1lID9MXNNBrldCIDd4fTdQ17KJdiBKZ9GVLeu4B37eOTWVMETHloFzp54N_ntwsjIR-_Who1tTSN5eUqOrrwrE5m2-/s320/DSC_0697.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>August 29:</b> We left at 4:30pm from Istanbul to Rome via
Turkish Airlines. No wonder they were named the best airline in Europe for two
consecutive years; what a great experience. The flight was only two and a half
hours, yet we were fed a delicious full course meal and we had individual tv
screens. With China Southern, which we flew to Istanbul, for ten hours, we had
no entertainment. And I had never experienced such rude flight attendants in
all my life!</div>
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<br /></div>
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We landed at about 6:30pm and with a few sentences of
instructions, we found the train station and caught the train to Travestere
where we would be staying. This would be the first city where we booked an
apartment rental through the booking site Wimdu. We have always only stayed in
hotels or hostels, but with budget prices, we thought we’d try to live like a
local while in Rome. </div>
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The apartment is nothing to brag about. It’s very basic and
doesn’t even have air conditioning. But the room size is nice and we share a
bathroom and kitchen with the other attendants but our paths never crossed. It
is about a 2 mile walk, or 30 minutes to the city center, but we don’t mind it.
Living in Korea, we walked 2.5 miles homes from school everyday; so this is
actually 15 minutes shorter <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>
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<b>August 30: </b>Armed with a Rick Steves guide book and free
audio tour pod casts downloaded, we were ready to find our way to the city
center! Because we didn’t quite know where we were going, it took us about an
hour to get there, but we made it! And our first stop: the infamous
Colosseum!!! The Colosseum for me is something so iconic. A place I have always
wanted to visit; when we walked up to it, I could not believe I was there! </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_XW6G6iGbG-KCll9_stZI7hmSRDyarxs2juLHTa5Q9AQgUi11b5wTaPwTOt89nT2ysd1Qsc-6QViB25EyLtOLkJv5wfqIwiTk4hcMI-kcT_MaWg-Ag1BLjgXSl4_pbO1Eb5K4qfz-ldZ/s1600/DSC_0742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_XW6G6iGbG-KCll9_stZI7hmSRDyarxs2juLHTa5Q9AQgUi11b5wTaPwTOt89nT2ysd1Qsc-6QViB25EyLtOLkJv5wfqIwiTk4hcMI-kcT_MaWg-Ag1BLjgXSl4_pbO1Eb5K4qfz-ldZ/s320/DSC_0742.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Colosseum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We had read that to skip the long lines, it’s smart to
purchase a “Rome Pass.” A pass that gets you into</div>
two sites of your choice for
free, and free local transport for three days. Well, when we looked into it, it
was 35 Euro. The Colosseum is 12 Euro by itself, and we felt like 35 Euro was a
lot to cut the line. The tour guides were trying to get our business by paying
for a tour; telling us the line to buy tickets was an hour and a half. Taking
our chances in the line proved to be the best decision. We were at the ticket
booth in under 30 minutes AND they took our teacher cards which enabled us to
buy our tickets for half the price!!!!!<br />
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I had read that some places give reduced entrance fees to
youth (under 26), and teachers. All we had to do was go on the ITIC<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(International Teachers Identification
Card) website, sign up, pay $20 and we got an official card with our photo validating
that we were teachers! Had we bought the Rome Pass, or paid for the tour, we
would not have been given the discount because I asked them. Chalk that point
up to Sarah and Andrew!</div>
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Allison and Jordan Gristy (Allison is Andrew’s sister) told
us to download the Rick Steves free audio tour guides on our iPhones before we
visited sites; saving us the five euro cost of an audio tour at each site.
Another fantastic tip! The guides were perfect and make touring these sites so
much more meaningful!</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VVXwt9dKiH8xKHJ8gn_npawUsTVz6QWUIgss6V11-r9_A9X_lvSKsGeSMOvzym8dDUZaSAZtZgOLQ3WZNJtzmxhDQMweULQnKK2mcBvnHWtMYa82ZptLcdGakO50RKJJisth95wWe7XV/s1600/DSC_0815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VVXwt9dKiH8xKHJ8gn_npawUsTVz6QWUIgss6V11-r9_A9X_lvSKsGeSMOvzym8dDUZaSAZtZgOLQ3WZNJtzmxhDQMweULQnKK2mcBvnHWtMYa82ZptLcdGakO50RKJJisth95wWe7XV/s320/DSC_0815.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins of the Forum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After the Colosseum, included in the ticket price, we visited
the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. The Roman Forum was pretty cool. It was
the hub of Rome during its prime and reign of Caesar. It was for centuries the
center of Roman public life: the site of triumphal processions and elections;
the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and gladiatorial matches; and
the home of commercial affairs. To think we were walking on the same streets as
Julius Caesar really made the history come to life!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Following the Forum, we walked around and took in the sites
of Palatine Hill. Rome has its origins on the Palatine. Get this, some
excavations showed that people have lived there since approximately 1000
BC!!!!!! WHAT?!?!? Sure, there isn’t A WHOLE LOT left, but what we saw was that
old! I seriously can’t even grasp that. Many affluent Romans of the Republican
period (509 BC – 44 BC) had their residences there. During the Empire (27 BC –
476 AD) several emperors resided there.</div>
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Day one was a success on so many levels!! MIND BLOWN.</div>
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<b>August 31: </b>Today was one of the most amazing days! It was
also one of the most physically exhausting. We left the apartment at 9:45am
with the intention of taking the train to Vatican City. Once we were at the
station, all the ticket booths were automated and there was no one around to help
us figure out where we needed to go. So we left and went to the bus stop. Same
situation. So, what did we do? We WALKED all the way to the Vatican from our
apartment. It took just over an hour. Yeah for a short four mile walk to warm
up for an ENTIRE day of walking! I have to give credit where credit is due.
From now on, I should refer to Andrew as simply Magellan. He was a rock star
when it came to navigating the streets of Rome! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We arrived at the Vatican and once again were swarmed by
tour companies to sign up for a tour. Promises of shorter lines spewed from
their lips like broken records. We read that the line to get into the Vatican
museum can be pretty brutal, but we took our chances. And guess what?! For
whatever reason, there was no line at all!!! Plenty of people, but no line.
Andrew and I couldn’t quite figure it out, but we weren’t complaining. Sadly no
teacher discounts but that’s ok; we excitedly paid the fee and went in.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnVu9CV0f-ash513gCnXt7vdbNerAim4gn_Iqvdg9YXqRHWDXEBLGiPoRs1JLeV26euYC3OIOl2iidLuBJ4WPhpgQkUjCCqKaP6_rz5HBF4nZ5AnC9sSw4wTgCfFJVcajElo6084kXyLK/s1600/DSC_0912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnVu9CV0f-ash513gCnXt7vdbNerAim4gn_Iqvdg9YXqRHWDXEBLGiPoRs1JLeV26euYC3OIOl2iidLuBJ4WPhpgQkUjCCqKaP6_rz5HBF4nZ5AnC9sSw4wTgCfFJVcajElo6084kXyLK/s320/DSC_0912.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many gorgeous ceilings in the Vatican </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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WOW! The place was gorgeous! There was not a wall that was
not completely covered with paintings, tapestry, or sculpture masterpieces.
Room after room the scenes were truly amazing. It was a bit overwhelming to say
the least. After walking around for about and hour and a half it was time for
the main event; the Sistine Chapel. The masterpiece and greatest work of Michelangelo.
We sat in there for about 30 minutes listening to a Rick Steves audio tour and
just trying to take in the God given talent of this artist depicting the events
in the Bible from creation to the coming of Jesus. To think that one man, over
the course of four years painted the entire thing is mind blowing. What an
amazing gift to give to the world. (Pictures were not allowed, so you will have
to Google to check it out). Truly the greatest work of art by a single human
being in the world….hands down.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Peter's Basilica is right behind us</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After we left the Vatican, we walked the ten minutes to St.
Peter’s square. This giant plaza houses St. Peter’s Basilica, the home of the
Pope and a 4,000 year old Egyptian obelisk. We ate some sandwiches under the
shade of the giant columns and just tried to take it all in. We then decided to
get in line to go inside St. Peter’s Basilica. </div>
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Completed in 1626, it’s not only one of the largest churches
in the world but it’s regarded as one of the holiest as Peter (one of Jesus’ 12
apostles) is buried there. Remember how I said that the Hagia Sophia in
Istanbul left me speechless, well, St. Peter’s Basilica left me breathless.
Granted, they were built during very different times, but both are grand in
their own right. This Basilica was absolutely STUNNING! No detail went unfinished.
From the marbled floors to the painted domes, I felt like I had walked into the
gates of heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was religious
experience like nothing else and if something that beautiful exists on earth, I
can’t even fathom the site of heaven. THIS IS A MUST SEE for anyone who visits
Rome. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDHsplymvm9CSRayaHT0ht6ysLxxLv7RwglwADiLj0X8yXwUJuaY4JCJ0rb-AM9chiHgUzhyKEp3rdrF9Ko-A60V70t7a3jx0lLFlTcrBrJDRAl3c6gQcgORZ18eii7UxEKDospldTvDI/s1600/DSC_0949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDHsplymvm9CSRayaHT0ht6ysLxxLv7RwglwADiLj0X8yXwUJuaY4JCJ0rb-AM9chiHgUzhyKEp3rdrF9Ko-A60V70t7a3jx0lLFlTcrBrJDRAl3c6gQcgORZ18eii7UxEKDospldTvDI/s320/DSC_0949.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the basilica </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It was now late afternoon as if we hadn’t already walked
enough, we made our way to the Pantheon. One of Rome’s best preserved
buildings, it was built in 126AD and is still is use today as a Roman Catholic
Church. In fact, when we were there, they were conducting five-o’clock mass.
This church is credited with helping to design the Sistine Chapel as well as
the Capital building in Washington DC. I just think that it was so neat to see
it still being used as it was intended to be when it was constructed so many
years ago. The audio tour even said that couples can still get married here!
Can you imagine that wait list!? Sheesh!</div>
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Still trucking along, we made our way 15 minutes to see the
famous Trevi fountain. We fought our way through the crazy crowd to take our
picture throwing our coins and making a wish into this magical fountain. It was
so fun to just sit down and people watch. Such an iconic site!</div>
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Leaving the Trevi fountain, we made our way to the last stop
of the day, the Spanish steps. Again, we fought our way, took some photos, then
climbed our way up to take a seat and just take in the sites we were so blessed
to see that day. At 7pm, we left to start our decent back to find a place to
eat and our apartment. Well, we got slightly turned around, and ended up in
what some might call the “seedy part of town.” It wasn’t until TWO HOURS later
that we found a place to eat and rest our poor legs. The meal was basic but delicious
and the wine was even better! Overall, the sites we saw were amazing, and I’m
not even exaggerating, we probably walked 20-25 miles. We have got to figure
out this bus system or I’m not going to last another six weeks!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Trevi Fountain!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<b>September 1: </b>Today wasn’t nearly as thrilling as yesterday.
But I mean, we are in Rome so it’s still fantastic! We decided to make it a
lighter day since our feet were still barking due to the miles we put on them
yesterday. The plan was to see the renowned National Museum of Rome that we had
heard so much about. </div>
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We left our apartment at 10:45am and as soon as we stepped
outside we noticed a bunch of people and a ton of tents; a flee market!!! We
spent what was left of the morning making our way from booth to booth to check
everything out. Sadly we didn’t end up buying anything but it was still fun to
look.</div>
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We then set off for the museum. We did NOT anticipate the
two hour walk it took us to get there. Then, following the ‘signs’ we were
walking in circles trying to find the entrance to this dang place! After asking
several people we finally found it. A three story brick building just
caddy-corner from the main train station. I was pumped to see gladiator gear,
swords, togas, the crowns of past emperors; you know national museum level
artifacts.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoA5JrukPhH_i9qwotVITzbt-bs647TnaIIMJ_xhQu4CjFz6up88KrqnqVld-f-YNjq1w-vwE6OUM5YjckpRtiOEg3_G3p2fNq5YHoJdN5ViqMbWPkPl9tNQ0OzgHGOS3FC30iPvpaPOuL/s1600/DSC_0049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoA5JrukPhH_i9qwotVITzbt-bs647TnaIIMJ_xhQu4CjFz6up88KrqnqVld-f-YNjq1w-vwE6OUM5YjckpRtiOEg3_G3p2fNq5YHoJdN5ViqMbWPkPl9tNQ0OzgHGOS3FC30iPvpaPOuL/s320/DSC_0049.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>
Ugh, sadly we were very mistaken. It was three floors of
bust and full body sculptures and replicas and one giant display room full of
old Roman currency. Oh, and random mummy of an eight year old girl. Where are
all of their artifacts?! I want to see those! I know I sound like a brat. And
the sculptures were quite amazing, just not what I had expected. (Better manage
my expectations huh dad.)</div>
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Following the museum, we made our way to St. Mary’s Basilica
that used to house Baths of Diocletian. A Roman bath house converted into a
beautiful church, strange huh? In addition to being a place of worship this
church also contains a meridian line. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">At the beginning of the eighteenth century </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Francesco Bianchini</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> built a meridian line, a sort of </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">sundial</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">, within the basilica. Completed in 1702, the pope
wanted to check the accuracy of the </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Gregorian reformation of the calendar</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> and to
produce a tool to predict </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Easter</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> exactly. It
was also Rome’s official time keeper for several years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">We could walk no more. I told Magellan that we needed to figure out
this bus situation. So we made our way to an information booth, bought a ticket
and hopped on. We got off a little early, and had a 20 minute walk home, but it
sure beat the hour and a half it would had taken. We ate at a delicious pizza
place near our apartment and sipped on a $4, pretty dang good bottle of wine
and called it a night!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Capital building built in 1906</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><b>September 2:</b> Today we wanted to go back to the area of the Spanish
steps. It’s also the area they refer to as the “Shopping Triangle.” It houses
budget to super high-end stores and we wanted to just walk around a bit. We
grabbed a sandwich from a local vendor, sat atop the Spanish steps and just
people watched. We then just moseyed around going anywhere the wind blew us.
After a bit of walking we stopped for some gelato. We’ve only had it three of
the four days we’ve been here!</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> We shopped
some more and made our way to the area of the Trevi fountain and found a little
outdoor café, drank some local wine and enjoyed just being there!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Our last stop of this relaxing day was Capitol Hill; a gorgeous little
plaza that we walked around and snapped some photos. It was a very low-key day
relative to the last few, but it’s nice to not have an agenda to just enjoy
being.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">We walked our tails off in Rome. It’s a fantastic city filled with
so much history it’s really hard to wrap your head around. One thing that was
unexpected that I really enjoyed were all the free water fountains throughout
the city. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water in Rome is
just fine to drink. So as long as you carry around a water bottle, you’ll save
a lot which is always appreciated!</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> We enjoyed our time so much in this
beautiful city. Can’t wait to see what Venice has in store!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFLiNrxO6vrpPoNe5uWu98Nwgf1T0KCOOHqbHMZ1hSxSS9hdKqNkoehldSr7fi4w9it5gZroHtLONFc9FV2mx3izI94ideV2iE2sWd1-Mfei0pD0SHJjKJeQf_WDUAHp02kPn-nYmtJAY/s1600/DSC_0809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFLiNrxO6vrpPoNe5uWu98Nwgf1T0KCOOHqbHMZ1hSxSS9hdKqNkoehldSr7fi4w9it5gZroHtLONFc9FV2mx3izI94ideV2iE2sWd1-Mfei0pD0SHJjKJeQf_WDUAHp02kPn-nYmtJAY/s320/DSC_0809.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0Rome, Italy41.8929163 12.48251989999994341.5147698 11.837072899999942 42.2710628 13.127966899999944tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-2074003079583854832013-08-28T09:47:00.000-07:002013-08-28T09:47:00.646-07:00Magical Istanbul
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTOsCF1nRRf4HonGp83jorKs_WnoBFi-ZV6UfHoWBs01MALXsAeErAACrAyBdweweqEQBgwCaXXpUM7qAYNVNQ4dVYBEqdWyxLBy0-ucY7LSQ04XmUEZIfcX48i5KUT1bYtC3uPCHJOPs/s1600/DSC_0657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTOsCF1nRRf4HonGp83jorKs_WnoBFi-ZV6UfHoWBs01MALXsAeErAACrAyBdweweqEQBgwCaXXpUM7qAYNVNQ4dVYBEqdWyxLBy0-ucY7LSQ04XmUEZIfcX48i5KUT1bYtC3uPCHJOPs/s320/DSC_0657.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of old town Istanbul from our balcony!</td></tr>
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Istanbul, Turkey has always been some place I wanted to
visit ever since my brother went there during his stent in the Peace Corps.
After he raved about it, my interest has just grown the more I hear and see
things about this city. With a population of roughly 15 million, it is the only
city in the world that actually splits two continents; Europe and Asia!</div>
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We left for Istanbul at 12:30pm out of Seoul on August 25<sup>th</sup>.
We then had two different stops in China, and after a kind of miserable 17 hour
journey, we arrived to Istanbul at 2:00am. We found the cutest little Bed and
Breakfast, Hotel Deniz Houses, located perfectly in Sultanahmet and within a
short walking distance to all of Istanbul’s most famous sites and restaurants.
It was a great ‘home base’ during our time in this majestic city.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me outside the Blue Mosque</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4azfvJskY9m9BeqiZJWbPVLINskecqtnmx4_iLsiIBUxq4va-cQdnp8cAauhst4pZ1VEI_U75grPehVhRsYVjPm60IoDI126xCdo96UwKcJvuGhsvqSGXi_HY15c-Wil9cGclD0M-Xosj/s1600/DSC_0423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4azfvJskY9m9BeqiZJWbPVLINskecqtnmx4_iLsiIBUxq4va-cQdnp8cAauhst4pZ1VEI_U75grPehVhRsYVjPm60IoDI126xCdo96UwKcJvuGhsvqSGXi_HY15c-Wil9cGclD0M-Xosj/s200/DSC_0423.JPG" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew in the Mosque</td></tr>
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<b>August 26</b> Being 98%<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a Muslim nation, we were woken up earlier than expected at
5:00am, by the call to prayer from the mosques; something that is blasted over
an intercom system all over the city. After going back to sleep, we woke again
at about 8am and decided to get up and start our exploration. Our first stop
was the famous Blue Mosque. Constructed between 1609 and 1616, this mosque is
still is use today, but it is also one of Istanbul’s most visited sites by
tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gets it’s name
because the interior is made up of more than 20,000 handmade ceramic painted
tiles that are predominately of different shades of blue. It is a gorgeous work
of art. The tiles are stunning and what an amazing, historic place for worship!
Being a mosque, when we entered, we had to remove our shoes and women had to
cover their knees and heads with scarves., which is why I have one over my
head. There were so many people in there trying to take photos that it got
ridiculously hot! But it was gorgeous!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the beautiful tile</td></tr>
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Our next stop was the Topkapi Palace and Harem. The Topkapi
Palace was built in 1478 and was the </div>
residence of the Sultans for 380 years.
Can you even fathom?! It was built in 1478…so crazy to me! The line for tickets
was a bit ridiculous, and we had to wait outside for about and hour and ten
minutes before even getting in. The wait was worth it. I think I took about 150
pictures of tiles alone! Every quarter we went into the tiles were painted
differently. The treasury was unbelievable! Of course pictures were not
allowed, but the jewels they had on display were stunning! Emerald, rubies, sapphires,
and diamond covered everything from crowns to drinking glasses. That is truly
how the ‘other half’ lived.<br />
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We paid the extra money to see the Harem, which literally
translates to “a place forbidden.” It was the area of the palace (300 rooms)
where the Sultan and his family lived. Once again, more tile pictures! A camera
cannot do the beauty justice. Andrew and I were truly in awe of the beauty in
the detail.</div>
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Our last stop of the day was the Grand Bazaar. Consisting of
more than 3,000 shops, it’s one of the largest and oldest covered shopping
districts in the world. You can buy pretty much anything there. Items ranging
from Turkish souvenirs, to clothing, spices, purses, handbags, shoes, and
household goods. We weren’t really in the market for anything other than taking
it all in! Much like the Silk Market we experienced in Beijing, but times about
five!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Hagia Sophia</td></tr>
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<b>August 27:</b> At 10am we ventured back out to Sultanahmet
square to see the famous Hagia Sophia. Are you ready for this...wrap your mind
around 537 AD. That was the year this magnificent church was built. 537 AD!!!
From 537-1204, it was used as an Eastern Orthodox Cathedral. From 1204-1261, it
was used as a Roman Catholic Cathedral. Again, from 1261-1453 it was used as an
Eastern Orthodox Cathedral. And then from1453-1931 it was used as an Imperial
Mosque. After 1931, it was turned into a museum. I’m sorry to say that I really
can’t describe my experience in there. I have never seen anything like it, and
I might not ever see anything like it again. The grandeur of this church/mosque
is literally indescribable. Much like Egypt’s great pyramids, it’s mind blowing
to try to figure out how it was constructed. The detail, the paintings, the
pure enormity of this place was unreal. Andrew and I pretty much walked through
the whole thing in silence. Truly one of the greatest archeological feats of
all time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPB4Ls6aam0MyHjQaKt6HQbm9aa7WOaFr7dl0poFutZBKIPgcUO51JwuXokWAs7HJ8126oQQYUMjnxOdR4jb9fAO7ycbrdoT1sKsrVLyW7r14AvjR0BAr8FDg2BV9g2mcepKUgzOa8Kju/s1600/DSC_0579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPB4Ls6aam0MyHjQaKt6HQbm9aa7WOaFr7dl0poFutZBKIPgcUO51JwuXokWAs7HJ8126oQQYUMjnxOdR4jb9fAO7ycbrdoT1sKsrVLyW7r14AvjR0BAr8FDg2BV9g2mcepKUgzOa8Kju/s200/DSC_0579.JPG" width="131" /></a></div>
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At 2:00pm, we booked a half day tour. We were taken to the
Rustem Pasha Mosque, and then aboarded a boat for an hour and a half cruise
along the Bosphprus; the body of water that splits Istanbul between Europe and
Asia. The boat ride was wonderful! Gave us a totally new perspective on Istanbul
and the sites were beautiful! Andrew and I could not get over how beautiful and
enormous some of the homes and private yachts were…..gorgeous! It was a cool
feeling to be on a boat and the scenery on our right is Asia, and on our left
was Europe!</div>
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After the boat ride, we spent about an hour waling around
the Egyptian Spice Market. Similar, but on a smaller scale than the Grand
Bazaar, we sampled some Turkish treats and just did some window shopping. The
ride back to our B&B took longer than expected due to rush hour traffic,
but I didn’t mind. I enjoyed seeing another, less touristy part of the </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cruising the Bosphorus</td></tr>
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city. I
can’t get over how clean and modern Istanbul is. The city is literally just
built up around churches, castles, palaces, aqueducts <br />
and mosques that are
thousands of years old!<br />
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<b>August 28</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">: </span>Our first stop of the day was the
famous Basilica Cistern. An underground water system built from 527-565 AD. It
is 9,800 square meters and has the capacity to hold 100,000 tons of water
storage. You enter the Cistern through such a small little building on the site
of a busy street. It’s so unassuming to think that just underneath a bustling
modern city, there are 336 beautifully carved columns holding up the city
streets!</div>
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After visiting the Cistern, we decided to do the super
touristy double-decker, hop on-hop off, city tour bus! It was such a nice view
of the city from the open air deck! We each had head phones so we could listen
to the English audio tour guide which enabled us to get so much more out of it
than just looking at the beautiful structures. We also got the chance to cross
over the main bridge that transports the citizens from the Europe to Asia side!
Being on two different continents in a matter of minutes was pretty cool.</div>
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We hopped off the bus in Taksim Square. This may sound
familiar to you because it’s the area where</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsZMe0u-r5opkVn6Go_pvBYLMVprKtqR7Vvk9CZ40qovAn7sR51pObmHk5lHCHJbtHfHt5fFQrGSXvcfDygUqFKbNweb0uHdLn_bwIjXbRU36WLMJt3Sh3NaSN0tSE5bzyn6px5d6yiyk/s1600/DSC_0672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsZMe0u-r5opkVn6Go_pvBYLMVprKtqR7Vvk9CZ40qovAn7sR51pObmHk5lHCHJbtHfHt5fFQrGSXvcfDygUqFKbNweb0uHdLn_bwIjXbRU36WLMJt3Sh3NaSN0tSE5bzyn6px5d6yiyk/s200/DSC_0672.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connecting Europe to Asia!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
all the Turkish riots were occurring
just weeks ago. All has passed now, and it’s a lovely area with a beautiful
park, loss of cafes and restaurants, and shopping. We ate lunch and just walked
around enjoying the sites and sounds of a different area than where we were staying.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had a wonderful three full days in Istanbul! The city is so rich with culture and history! It's incredibly clean and we felt very safe. The people were nice and always willing to strike up a conversation. Turkey is a place I would love to return to. There is so much to see here outside of the bustling city of Istanbul and I know we only scratched the surface! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8AMoxyF-TbjNDxANJLSi7SFNOv_53xsMq1panUHGTguclrDl-vZTda-Iv2kU6XOOjeHI0vIrx7GdD_5ghzdTgNdn2rMLdE1O31pgs9ZxcuH95VuRiDB1jct7LaU-McMA-NteRf4AxxG4/s1600/DSC_0554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8AMoxyF-TbjNDxANJLSi7SFNOv_53xsMq1panUHGTguclrDl-vZTda-Iv2kU6XOOjeHI0vIrx7GdD_5ghzdTgNdn2rMLdE1O31pgs9ZxcuH95VuRiDB1jct7LaU-McMA-NteRf4AxxG4/s320/DSC_0554.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the entry to Hagia Sophia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmDuH28CrZ9etP5LxtIRWeBI9oAO3Cpx-d0yaV_qg5hYmABksG-fNDGThd6ZGVWf6c1qtqWJMuKfUFzrs1uKVQUlbGNYlBty5WHV_1OVTxsY1JXNMCT1y6bUesZ-jpmaXCiHzRt8h4n8v/s1600/DSC_0612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmDuH28CrZ9etP5LxtIRWeBI9oAO3Cpx-d0yaV_qg5hYmABksG-fNDGThd6ZGVWf6c1qtqWJMuKfUFzrs1uKVQUlbGNYlBty5WHV_1OVTxsY1JXNMCT1y6bUesZ-jpmaXCiHzRt8h4n8v/s320/DSC_0612.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Bosphorus boat tour</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0Istanbul, Turkey41.00527 28.97695999999996340.621820500000005 28.331512999999962 41.3887195 29.622406999999964tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-61835693767457777692013-08-24T04:48:00.001-07:002013-08-24T04:48:50.914-07:00Farewell Korea
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I write this reflection sitting at a hotel in Seoul the
night before we officially leave Korea for our European adventure. The feeling
is bittersweet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andrew and I feel
that a piece of us will always be in Korea. Between the year we spent in Ulsan
and the year in Pohang, we both did so much growing up. We learned about
ourselves in ways that only traveling can teach you. The cultural situations we
exposed ourselves to helped us to grow professionally, but more importantly, it
helped us to grow as human beings and citizens of the world.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I had tears in my eyes as the taxi drove us away from our
humble Pohang home, and we both couldn’t help but laugh when we thought about
the first night we spent here back in August of 2012. We were literally dropped
off to an apartment that had a single bed and nothing else. We had no food,
water, toilet paper, bedding….nothing! We were so frustrated and then we were
told, “School starts tomorrow, see you in the morning,” That first morning we
woke up with kinked necks as we slept on sweatshirts as pillows; and to the
sound of our first experience with a typhoon. Remember the whole shower cap
thing? Ugh…that was our welcome to Pohang.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As the weeks went by, we grew to love this city and the
people we were blessed to have met. We both made some really great friends from
all different parts of the world making it that much harder to leave. It’s
crazy to think that people from all walks of life are just PEOPLE! We all want
the same things and strive for similar goals no matter our backgrounds.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We returned to Korea to live and work abroad again. The
ultimate goal was not to come home with a larger savings account. It was to
make the money we needed, to see more of the world. So we took those earnings
and experienced amazing things in Korea, Hong Kong and the Philippines. We will
continue to enjoy learning and immersing ourselves in this grand world as we
spend the next seven-weeks traveling around Europe. Look for blog updates along
the way. I will do my best to post a blog when we leave each great city. Our
path is as follows: Istanbul, Turkey – Rome, Venice, Italy – Paris, France –
Vienna, Salzburg, Austria – Augsburg, Munich, Germany – London, England, -
Dundee, Edinburgh, Scotland – Dublin, Ireland.</div>
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<br /></div>
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“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes
his steps.” –Proverbs 16:9</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-62716860335847497802013-08-15T03:27:00.000-07:002013-08-15T03:27:04.659-07:00Mehrmann's Meet Korea<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTlh4kyY_iTWShunXQc3577BtX_jml3a_l1ZZUJzhrK9FKw14gT6hzX38CyBHqk6v3HXBUmwual9Iknwu8sqLIUu5Y2ahOyawrcCUoiAvOuTsxy3CUFstB7ONcK9tKpCdRo_q-4YIVBro/s1600/DSC03808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTlh4kyY_iTWShunXQc3577BtX_jml3a_l1ZZUJzhrK9FKw14gT6hzX38CyBHqk6v3HXBUmwual9Iknwu8sqLIUu5Y2ahOyawrcCUoiAvOuTsxy3CUFstB7ONcK9tKpCdRo_q-4YIVBro/s320/DSC03808.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<i>*Disclaimer: Please excuse the sweaty nature of all of our pictures. </i></div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
Since the first time we moved to Korea, family members have been talking about visiting. But life gets in the way and unfortunately no one was able to visit us while we lived in Ulsan. Luckily we all got a second chance! Andrew’s mom, Becky, and step-dad Brian, made the trek across the pond and booked their tickets to Korea! Aside from forking over the funds and deciding what to pack for 11 days of hellacious heat, their jobs were done. Andrew and I took the liberty of working out all the logistics and creating an itinerary to maximize their visit.</div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
On August 3<sup>rd</sup>, Andrew and I woke up and caught a bus from our apartment to the bus terminal. We then caught the 40 minute, 8:10am bus to the Gyeongju KTX station where we would take a two hour train to Seoul. Once we got to Seoul, we took the Subway to get to the hotel we were staying in. We wanted to drop off our bags before going to the airport to pick up the Mehrmann’s! We then took another bus for about and hour and twenty minutes to Incheon airport where we anxiously awaited their arrival.</div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
It seemed like we timed it out perfectly because we only had to stand at the arrival gate holding our embarrassingly large, neon-green “Welcome to Korea” sign for about twenty minutes. When they FINALLY walked off the plane we couldn’t have been more excited! All the talking and planning was over, it was time for Andrew and I to introduce Becky and Brian to two years of our lives and guide them around the beautiful country that is Korea!</div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
Their exhaustion was replaced with excitement as we talked their ears off all the way to the hotel. We greeted them there with a ‘Korean Survival Pack’ filled with fun Korean gifts and snacks including but not limited to: socks, maps, cookies and of course dried octopus! We took them on their first Seoul subway ride to get some pizza before calling it an early night. We needed them well rested for their ten day adventure!</div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
We spent August 3<sup>rd</sup>-6<sup>th</sup> hitting the main sites of Korea’s capital. Most of the things we took them to see Andrew and I have seen before and those experiences have already been blogged about from our perspective. So I would just like to include pictures that highlight their visit!</div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
A list of the places and sites we visited included:</div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<b>August 4<sup>th</sup></b></div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Gyeongbokgung Palace</li>
<li>The Blue House (where the Korean President lives)</li>
<li>Changdeokgung Palace and Secret Garden (However, we missed the last English speaking tour by three minutes and they would not let us just join in…so frustrating!)</li>
<li>Korean Beef restaurant</li>
<li>Nanta Musical</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<b>August 5<sup>th</sup></b></div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Outdoor Korean War Museum</li>
<li>Itaewon </li>
<li>Shinsegae Department Store</li>
<li>Ate traditional Korean street food for dinner</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<b>August 6<sup>th</sup></b></div>
<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>DMZ tour</li>
<li>Seoul Tower</li>
<li>Hongae area for dinner</li>
</ul>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYy6Fd5bfllDvXUV0y-8EgYxCy-Ol-Ly1HoD-MyFo6hRMe_i-Z-4mJnJcNCw6t9rzTWoWZM0T7VkBtaSt1qzV6bxp-9s_UqAeisejQhcM2MB8-SS53Ew_IhHhJ6oVOwOIUSEH8v_xg3uZG/s1600/DSC_0112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYy6Fd5bfllDvXUV0y-8EgYxCy-Ol-Ly1HoD-MyFo6hRMe_i-Z-4mJnJcNCw6t9rzTWoWZM0T7VkBtaSt1qzV6bxp-9s_UqAeisejQhcM2MB8-SS53Ew_IhHhJ6oVOwOIUSEH8v_xg3uZG/s320/DSC_0112.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside Gyeongbokgung Palace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEk_RkSlyqKWd6YQ-bJVpPs9PZD-QTE2mklD27ySgU9DZIWz75E8Ylqhmi-YYQgFUsMJA8stovrsXD_hIv_JgAfvLYIZ_hXOkVKaYjaMioZuujSN3h77XCRedsjxhfGn-9cd-I-HRnhHgQ/s1600/DSC03838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEk_RkSlyqKWd6YQ-bJVpPs9PZD-QTE2mklD27ySgU9DZIWz75E8Ylqhmi-YYQgFUsMJA8stovrsXD_hIv_JgAfvLYIZ_hXOkVKaYjaMioZuujSN3h77XCRedsjxhfGn-9cd-I-HRnhHgQ/s320/DSC03838.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Korean War Museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMBRfw3NDnbQABSpY_NxbR4X2lqTBtm_wHC5yhIok69vhxCzWgIgh34h0ZLVw-oGMVA2dGp9SFg3AU-s6-S9z0m5ARSb6l3AAWThm3g1StHJCD2JCKR70310sWa0bmxdef0R5nZZRgzhn/s1600/DSC_0143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMBRfw3NDnbQABSpY_NxbR4X2lqTBtm_wHC5yhIok69vhxCzWgIgh34h0ZLVw-oGMVA2dGp9SFg3AU-s6-S9z0m5ARSb6l3AAWThm3g1StHJCD2JCKR70310sWa0bmxdef0R5nZZRgzhn/s320/DSC_0143.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palace Gardens</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLscsAj4yzLsEjmjCdwiMExkU9gUo1TLK6gDIDlI2RpMStEyLQUY1MsAVziBQSM7Uy4ruNT7onAmbLja6yV7yJNcRIKyv66rWNPNfueCRHN7Quu5a7vGcpQzk_ix30OIxBNqyVURR3lbsn/s1600/DSC03823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLscsAj4yzLsEjmjCdwiMExkU9gUo1TLK6gDIDlI2RpMStEyLQUY1MsAVziBQSM7Uy4ruNT7onAmbLja6yV7yJNcRIKyv66rWNPNfueCRHN7Quu5a7vGcpQzk_ix30OIxBNqyVURR3lbsn/s320/DSC03823.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the Seoul Subway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpX4YWQSYXWUMktJ_UVzL3KnkVYiUu3MaJBbrIXdHZEB8BRfKrCC2Db6_qKwBy-XKZQi6gVUO0xWZ7WKum8SEyv1SdPGlsDBg1MGfQKMUWgX462K8-PMXPmkiEGkM3ANz02sDjHniwgutz/s1600/DSC_0193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpX4YWQSYXWUMktJ_UVzL3KnkVYiUu3MaJBbrIXdHZEB8BRfKrCC2Db6_qKwBy-XKZQi6gVUO0xWZ7WKum8SEyv1SdPGlsDBg1MGfQKMUWgX462K8-PMXPmkiEGkM3ANz02sDjHniwgutz/s320/DSC_0193.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seoul Tower: Geological Center of Seoul</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuaF8lKZSn8vGN4lE_-3uXn0OZEEZv5yscRlRjO7RTnzyDo19yUkkNkUb7w94esXi1GLXdHB9Pig06RrzMPKDSRqzZKrhyphenhyphenustviUdkMJL5Jy3bP14aaJGQ8bXAdQcAzDGXgxVuFljIx26/s1600/DSC03863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuaF8lKZSn8vGN4lE_-3uXn0OZEEZv5yscRlRjO7RTnzyDo19yUkkNkUb7w94esXi1GLXdHB9Pig06RrzMPKDSRqzZKrhyphenhyphenustviUdkMJL5Jy3bP14aaJGQ8bXAdQcAzDGXgxVuFljIx26/s320/DSC03863.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Demilitarized Zone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxVNXfC4EiZlUJC_npeLVhT0nOZpvL6RxwbsCb6fPTGmZzs79OmOr_nOO2cDSU9UIxTxB9__WSp_4PqaLT3LCD6MS19fdqe4_A59fjDpLFpOiMqsDOccNPQnoxqLZpWIfDKGcY7fRG3iE/s1600/DSC03857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxVNXfC4EiZlUJC_npeLVhT0nOZpvL6RxwbsCb6fPTGmZzs79OmOr_nOO2cDSU9UIxTxB9__WSp_4PqaLT3LCD6MS19fdqe4_A59fjDpLFpOiMqsDOccNPQnoxqLZpWIfDKGcY7fRG3iE/s320/DSC03857.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Korea in the background</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We left Seoul on August 7<sup>th</sup> to fly to Jeju Island. Jeju was a place that Andrew and I were very disappointed we didn’t get a chance to visit in our first go-around so we were pumped to get to share this new experience with his parents. Finding a place to stay was a bit tricky as August is the high season for tourists. We settled on the Easy Stay EJ Hotel which came highly recommended from a friend. This would be the first time Becky and Brian would experience a typical Korean style hotel. The location was good relative to the island’s downtown area and airport was it was a bit far from most of the sites.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little chilly in the lava cave</td></tr>
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With Jeju, it’s nearly impossible to get around without a car and since we don’t have an international drivers license we were unable to rent one. So we were at the mercy of taxi drivers. </div>
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We arrived to Jeju about 10:30am after a short 60 minute flight and we left our bags at the hotel since we couldn’t check in until noon. Armed with a map of the island and a free guidebook from the airport, we headed to a coffee shop to map out our two-day game plan.</div>
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After checking in, we changed into our exploring clothes, waited on our “English-speaking-taxi-driver” and headed to our first stop which was the Manjanggul Cave. Jeju is much like Hawai’i in that it is the result of an erupted volcano. This cave is the world’s largest known lava cave created by volcanic activity. It was about a 1,000 meters long and SO COLD! The temperature change was welcomed and the first site we had seen on this entire trip where we weren’t just dripping with sweat! It was impressive when you think about how it was formed, but it was just really dark cave. We spent about thirty minutes down there before meeting our hired taxi driver to tell him our next destination.</div>
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Our driver spoke no English although advertised it. When I gave him the name of our next stop, </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Tea Fields</td></tr>
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Daheeyeon tea fields, he had no idea what I was talking about. Should have been a red flag. I pointed to it in the guide book, and on the map. He didn’t know. I asked him if he had a Korean map, because maybe he just didn’t recognize the word in English. He didn’t have one. He kept telling us that it would take an hour and twenty minutes to get there, but on the map it looked no more than twenty. I pointed to the map and in my limited Korean told him there was no way. He said my map was a “mistake, mistake.” I even wrote the word out in Korean hoping that it would spark something. Nothing. He then takes his map out. And guess what…. It’s on the same spot as my map!! I pointed to his map, where he said mine was a mistake, and in Korean, said “there, it’s the same!” Ugh….after 20 minutes of this back and forth, we were finally on our way.<br />
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Ok, in the guidebook, this tea field was described as “an organic tea park built inside a natural lava cave. They also had a tea museum and zip-lining “through the mountains with stunning views of mountains and sea.”</div>
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I take full blame for the tourist trap I led us to. No wonder the driver had never been there. WHAT A JOKE! We arrived and thought, this can’t be it. We paid our $5 each (which included a green-tea drink) and then walked around. The green tea field was, well, a small field of green-tea plants. The museum was entirely in Korean and consisted of about ten displays and the zip line was four platforms that formed a square barely high enough to maybe see some sea; but definitely didn’t go through any mountains.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOfZjJLMQ0VRfXlGCMiPVFGWH505UWo4BAm5l5TDy0jcI08h5158yJZsqjZ0xPwoZm7EWeeK34b4RlH1tHdHOGXjuqzPtZaWYfEZJjPtE0X0ek5VgUYaW5Ulft-5mCJTyZHk9tOROfW1C/s1600/DSC_0254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOfZjJLMQ0VRfXlGCMiPVFGWH505UWo4BAm5l5TDy0jcI08h5158yJZsqjZ0xPwoZm7EWeeK34b4RlH1tHdHOGXjuqzPtZaWYfEZJjPtE0X0ek5VgUYaW5Ulft-5mCJTyZHk9tOROfW1C/s200/DSC_0254.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting on our tea in the cave</td></tr>
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Well, we did pay for a drink so we went into their “Cave Café” which was literally a coffee shop in a cave and picked from a very small menu of all green tea concoctions. You know when something is just so ridiculous you can’t help but just laugh. And the more inappropriate the location, the harder you have to laugh? Well, this was the case for all of us. We were laughing so hard, trying to drink our tea drinks while choking down some green-tea and broccoli cookies. Oh, the memories.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-fj-rRMX7Wl-aPoysE5KX35eUl2eqpJr_iXdoh5TaDRmakgT12-MzIt2TqCpj1BOBgU1ots_XTtVdIu5ehHARCps8xxxdyt3UN8iY2UyoktXuyYfoE7EdBrBMbQsZphali5-UXbPfMWP/s1600/DSC_0274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-fj-rRMX7Wl-aPoysE5KX35eUl2eqpJr_iXdoh5TaDRmakgT12-MzIt2TqCpj1BOBgU1ots_XTtVdIu5ehHARCps8xxxdyt3UN8iY2UyoktXuyYfoE7EdBrBMbQsZphali5-UXbPfMWP/s200/DSC_0274.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jungmun Beach</td></tr>
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That was it for our first day on the island. It might not seem like much, but it takes a long time to drive anywhere! We spent way too much time in the cabs. But that was ok with me, as they were air conditioned. I’m not sure I stressed how hot it was. Not just on Jeju, but our entire trip. I’m not sure we have ever sweated so much in our lives!</div>
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Day two on Jeju, we decided to check out the famous Jungmun Saekdal Beach and their famous </div>
Jeongbang Waterfall. We didn’t stay to relax at the beach, we just wanted to check out the views. I was entirely to hot to try to layout on the sand. Yikes! After we leaf the beach area we went to Jeongbang. This is the only waterfall in South Korea where the water falls straight into the sea. It was crowed with tourists but really beautiful. I mean, it’s not everyday you get to see waterfalls!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the mascot of Jeju</td></tr>
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We had worked up quite an appetite by now so we decided to walk the streets for something to eat. Literally, all there were were fish restaurants. Not being in the mood, we finally found a pork place. Long story short, we settled on entirely overpriced Jeju black pig barbeque that wasn’t even very good. So we left unsatisfied and heavy stomachs.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfall</td></tr>
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Our last stop of day two was Mt. Hallasan national park. Mt. Hallasan is that tallest mountain in all of Korea so I figured there would be stuff to see all around it since it’s a national park. Not the case. Our driver drove us to the hiker drop off point which was a 15-minute mountain windy mountain drive. For those of you who don’t know, I get incredibly motion sick, so I had my eyes closed the entire time. Well, we weren’t about to hike the nine-hour round trip trail at 4:30pm, so we looked at the mountain, and left. Bummer.</div>
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On August 9th we left Jeju Island at 3:30pm for a 40 minute flight to Busan. Before the flight we <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">decided to take it easy and head for some inside duty free shopping. Sadly, it wasn’t very big but we took advantage of the air-conditioning and looked at every store! The flight was quick and then it took about two hours to reach Pohang by bus. We checked the Mehrmann’s into the Galaxy Hotel which is only a seven minute walk from our apartment and right on the beach. We then went for a late dinner at one of our favorite Vietnamese-Korean fusion restaurants. </span></div>
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August 10<sup>th</sup> was a breather day. We showed them our apartment for the first time, took them downtown for lunch, gave them their first Pohang city bus experience, toured the famous Jukdo fish market, got caught in the rain, took them to HomePlus to buy dinner for the night and then went back to our place. We decided that we had been eating out way to much and Andrew cooked us delicious fajitas.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bulgulska Temple</td></tr>
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August 11<sup>th</sup> we boarded the intercity bus heading to Gyeongju. The historic city which was the capital of the country during the Silla Dynasty. There is so much history packed into this little city. Our first stop was the famous and beautiful Bulgulska Temple. We spent a few hours just walking, sweating, and taking in the sites and sounds of a mountain temple. We then took a bus to the City Museum which Andrew and I had always wanted to visit. Unfortunately, we saw a scaled down version of the museum as it was under construction, but it was a good chance to see some ancient Korean artifacts. It’s hard to fathom things from 400 and 500AD! We made it back to Pohang just in time for a delicious green-tea marinated pork BBQ dinner. Yum, yum, yum! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious pork dinner</td></tr>
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August 12<sup>th</sup> was of course another scorching hot day. We headed to Ulsan to show them our old <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">stomping grounds. It wasn’t a very long trip but it was nice to show them our old apartment and both our schools. We did a little air-conditioned shopping in their new built downtown area and enjoyed yet another Korean city!</span></div>
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August 13<sup>th</sup> (my 27<sup>th</sup> birthday) we made it another Pohang day. We started the day with a sweaty walk along the beach. We then headed to our schools where we could take them inside and show them what our school lives were like so that was pretty cool. After that we went downtown for a street food lunch the relaxed and got ready for my birthday dinner! I was excited that Belle and Juan-Hee were going to join us. It gave Becky and Brian the chance to meet some of our Korean friends and ask they questions about Korea. Belle even brought Becky a traditional Korean wind-chime…so sweet. We headed to Baskin Robins for some birthday ice cream before parting ways.</div>
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We woke up early on the 14<sup>th</sup> to meet them at their hotel. We wanted to ride with them to the bus station so they could catch their 8:20am bus to Incheon airport. A bus isn’t ideal, but it is the easiest way we could think of to get them to the airport hassle free. We said our goodbyes and waved as they pulled away. It was such a memorable trip filled with awe, fun, unforgettable experiences and so much laughter. The only thing I wish I could have changed was the weather. It was so hot!!! But I guess I’d take super hot days over really rainy.</div>
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We were so blessed to take them around and are so thankful they made the trip to see us. We wish we had the chance to take all of our friends and family around this beautiful country!</div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-1055591178314737632013-07-31T22:26:00.002-07:002013-07-31T22:26:46.577-07:00Some July Happenings<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Proud American in the Parade</td></tr>
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Nothing super eventful has happened in the last month. But I thought I'd post a short recap of July.<br />
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The semester officially ended! July 19th was my last day of teaching the majority of my students. I was happy to leave the sixth graders but it was sad to finish with the third as they are so stinkin' cute!<br />
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So, now that the semester has ended, it's time for summer school...yeah. So for three days, I had to teach a "summer camp" which consisted of three different grades. The planning was a bit chaotic as the leader of the summer camp does not speak much English. One of the days I decided to make a 'cooking day' where we talked about different foods all over the world and I had them make puppy chow. If you can imagine, 25 third graders, powdered sugar, melted chocolate, chocolate Chex cereal and peanut butter; I'm sure you can visualize the outcome. The kids LOVED it but the room was a disaster!!!<br />
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Once the official camp was over (the school hosts one just so they can get money from the district office) I have to teach my 'vacation classes.' Not much differs except myself and Belle are the ONLY teachers in the school. So, for 13 days, I have an hour and half of third grade and then and hour and a half of fourth grade; while Belle has her own classes upstairs. Our classes end at 12:10pm, but we have to stay until 4:40pm because my principal is such a stickler...<br />
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It's doesn't sound so bad, teaching three hours a day, sitting for five. However, about two weeks before these classes started, I was told to plan for two classes of first grade. I had never taught first grade nor did I know what to do with them for three hours and no co-teacher. But I planned the 19.5 hours of material thankful for the two week notice which is rare.<br />
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Well, five days before these classes were to start, I was told that now, instead of two classes of first grade, I was going to have one class of first grade and one class of third. Oh super, another 19.5 hours to plan because the stuff I planned for first grade was not level appropriate. Oh, but it gets better. Three days before the classes start, once again, things had changed. I was no longer going to teach first grade. But one class of third and one class of fourth! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!<br />
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I was so irate I stopped planning. As I write this, I have just finished day seven of these classes just winging every lesson. I'd have to say, I think I have a hidden talent for making up lessons on the spot and fun games to go along with them with random material I find in the classroom. A skill I know I inherited from my dad. He was always making up games with us as kids :)<br />
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All in all, the vacation classes are kind of terrible. The kids don't want to be there at all. Most of the kids in my classes are the trouble makers that I know were sent to me to babysit. It's their summer and they want to be out with their friends. Not stuck in a room with me speaking only English. Poor kids...<br />
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July 28th was mine and Andrew's 1st wedding anniversary. We wanted to do something special so I called and got reservations atop the Galaxy Hotel for dinner and a view of the beach. The fireworks festival is going on at the same time so I thought it would be romantic to dine and watch fireworks on our anniversary! Well..to be honest, the food was terrible but the view was nice. We also said no gifts. Well, me, loving any holiday where I can give presents, I of course broke this pact. I looked up the traditional first wedding anniversary gift, and it said paper. I knew just the thing!<br />
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In our downtown area we often stroll by a caricature artist drawing anyone who would stop. I begged Andrew to do this countless times but he always said, "later." So I took matters into my own hands. I took a photo of the two of us to this artist and in a mix between English, Korean and charades, I told him I wanted a picture of us drawn wearing traditional Korean wedding hanboks. He shook his head and told me to come back in an hour. To his defense, the picture I gave him was SUPER dark because the printer at my school is terrible but I thought it was obvious that the girl in the picture was me. Well, when I looked at the drawing I just burst out laughing! Maybe he doesn't draw many westerners because we look Korean. We both have black hair and dark brown eyes. When I gave the picture to Andrew he laughed and said, in all seriousness, "Is this us?" Anyways, makes for a special memory of our first year of marriage and living in Korea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92Ccbf-v91zfBACxXSAE_6_QhfH1-YbLUhvFkajpCe34YXlL7wNuZR9ksFvtrFxbDl6aRXy6BH6q3jlR2zjTIEGP1bHGsMHurmI8OOEf1AOF5fsOu3QaAWUwpGhVmrNNRZ9vnWkxtgbA1/s1600/carat.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92Ccbf-v91zfBACxXSAE_6_QhfH1-YbLUhvFkajpCe34YXlL7wNuZR9ksFvtrFxbDl6aRXy6BH6q3jlR2zjTIEGP1bHGsMHurmI8OOEf1AOF5fsOu3QaAWUwpGhVmrNNRZ9vnWkxtgbA1/s320/carat.bmp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'Korean' Lacy's!</td></tr>
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As I mentioned before, the Pohang fireworks festival is going on at the beach next to our apartment. Well, there was a Facebook invite going around that they wanted members of the foreigner community to walk in the opening parade. There wasn't much interest until it was revealed that we would be given a free t-shirt and glow stick. I'm in! Andrew just laughed and said he'd sit out and take some pictures; so my South African friend Kate and I showed up at the designated spot, got our t-shirt, glow stick, and country flag and took our place in the parade! I mean, how often do you get to walk in a parade? And in a foreign country no less?! We had to! All the other acts in the parade stopped and did performances. Sadly, we just walked behind a bag piper from Texas, waving our flags and smiling at all the little kids who were probably wondering why their English teachers were in this parade. The walk was a short 20 min, kind of awkward, but worth the shirt.<br />
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That's all for now. There will be one last post before we leave Korea and then off to Europe for just shy of eight-weeks!<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-41867605766383353712013-06-30T21:41:00.002-07:002013-06-30T21:41:57.035-07:00"Don't worry, it's just for fun..."<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1jkDvwEgAiucl7IJwsdwFf7g1Jbc_Ke1OTpLqqtqMtqCdVsrUP6ELeXWtuyTWsL7CxVgSMlDYt2JEgOSuHJMlMKgp1GoTkf2Htr8Hn9tFyY3woSyE9ESRKYH1ImlehEQrB9Qw4Crqjc7/s1280/volleyball.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1jkDvwEgAiucl7IJwsdwFf7g1Jbc_Ke1OTpLqqtqMtqCdVsrUP6ELeXWtuyTWsL7CxVgSMlDYt2JEgOSuHJMlMKgp1GoTkf2Htr8Hn9tFyY3woSyE9ESRKYH1ImlehEQrB9Qw4Crqjc7/s320/volleyball.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish this was taken on the opposite side so you could have seen the crowd!</td></tr>
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Short but kind of funny story...<br />
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On Saturday, June 29th, I was checking Facebook and noticed one of the girls in my Bible study group was asking for a volunteer to play volleyball later that evening. She said her team was one girl short and needed another player. I wrote back that I would be her last resort and that I was terrible since I hadn't played in three years. (Since the whole <a href="http://sarahestremme.blogspot.kr/2009/09/volleyball-bamboo-and-teaching-with.html" target="_blank">Ulsan elementary school volleyball fiasco</a>...)<br />
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She wrote back a few hours later saying they needed me to play and if I could show up at Bukbu Beach at 6pm wearing all black, that would be great. Again, I reiterated my lack of ability but she said, "Don't worry, it's just for fun." So I walked the seven minutes to the beach, Gatorade in hand and dressed as a ninja.<br />
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When I arrived I saw no foreigners. I assumed because it was "just for fun" we would be playing a bunch of other four-player foreigner volleyball teams. I sat on a bench for a bit waiting until people started showing up. A girl named Paulina came up to me and asked if I was Kelly's friend Sarah, I nodded and she said "thanks for coming." She proceeded to mention that we will be practicing since our game doesn't start until after 8pm. Confused of what she meant by 'game', I asked her. She said, "Oh, we play Korean ajuma's (older women)." Taken back, I asked her to clarify. She said, "Ya, they are really good. We play around 8pm after the boys game."<br />
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At this point, I'm thinking about all the ways I can murder Kelly and get away with it. She left out the minor detail that this was a real tournament game with official nets, referees and an ever growing crowd! Being that I am in Korea, I should have suspected something like this. Nothing is ever done just recreational. It's always a serious competition.<br />
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I met Meg the other girl on "my team" and we began practicing. After about 30 minutes of hitting the ball around with each other a group of Korean women who we though were our opponents came up and wanted to practice with us. We welcomed the warm-up competition and boy were we terrible. It was clear we had never played together and it took us about 30 minutes to get the hang of things. We began to gain a little confidence in our ability and were getting excited to play this team for real.<br />
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By now, we had warmed up for an hour and a half and my arms were already starting to bruise and get tender. The nerves and worry kicked in when our game time neared and the crowed grew bigger and bigger. I mean who wouldn't stop to watch a sand volleyball game where four young American women were playing four older Korean women? It had to be comical.<br />
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Turns out, the team we thought we were playing, we were not. We were playing a team that was apparently REALLY good. Just great. They introduced us, we bowed, shook hands and it was game time. I'm literally shaking at this point just hoping I don't get a spike to the face. You see, in Ulsan when I played, it was a nine-man team. Six guys and three of us girls stuck in the back. I never had to touch the ball! But in this case, there were only four of us, so touching the ball was inevitable and taking hard spikes was a reality.<br />
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We played to 21 points, best out of three. On their very first serve I pulled my left quad. It should have been an indicator of how this match would play out. Needless to say, the first game was over in about five-minutes as it was CLEAR we did not have our groove. The crowed started to feel sorry for us and turned into a whole section of cheerleaders which was nice! Sadly, we lost the second game as well but we played SO MUCH BETTER. We started to figure out everyone's strengths and Andrew said we actually looked pretty good :)<br />
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Considering it had been years since I played I was very proud of myself. Being that we had never played/met before Saturday, our team did better than expected. We hung around after the game and played another 45 minutes to practice before I had to call it quits. My body was aching so bad, the walk home was a bit torturous.<br />
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Two days later, I can seriously hardly walk, but look forward to 'subbing' in future games!<br />
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-46241786642096477872013-06-28T02:19:00.004-07:002013-06-28T02:19:51.838-07:00Culture in the Classroom<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WYHal8a_KXcCePpjErGhyRSyrw3_b4cFjsFnXVi8mdhLYhZFjCdGV6SNR9bGGIfqSstM_bikfvgpZ58Nwyy0iic2-vEub2x9bDO3qGZyIqHXOtRBNrSxzy2sehQ4Zf7ZgwfKY1jN6aR7/s1600/DSC03791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WYHal8a_KXcCePpjErGhyRSyrw3_b4cFjsFnXVi8mdhLYhZFjCdGV6SNR9bGGIfqSstM_bikfvgpZ58Nwyy0iic2-vEub2x9bDO3qGZyIqHXOtRBNrSxzy2sehQ4Zf7ZgwfKY1jN6aR7/s320/DSC03791.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating with a pizza dinner!</td></tr>
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In March I was told that I needed to write a skit so our school could participate in the city wide English play contest. The only guidelines I was given was that it needed to have some sort of message and could be no longer than the allotted five-minutes. Belle told me that last year popular topics included bullying, taking care of the Earth, and Dokdo Island rightfully belonging to Korea and not Japan. With all of these pretty serious topics in mind, I decided to take a risk and go the lighthearted route.<br />
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I decided to make my skit about things I experienced as a foreign teacher in Korea. Easy enough right? I mean, I am a primary source for information on this topic. Being that it was only five-minutes and I had never written a play before I approached it like an essay. I mapped out my three main topics, wrote a thesis statement and a concluding line to wrap up my ideas; then, all I would have to do is fill in the details.</div>
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The basis of my skit was as follows:</div>
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<li><b>There are five characters: </b>The foreign teacher, an exchange student from America (Britney), and three Korean students.</li>
<li><b>The Setting:</b> The first day of school at a Korean elementary school</li>
<li><b>The First Issue: </b>The teacher is wearing her "outdoor shoes" inside and didn't know that "indoor shoes" were a thing. --Korean students politely explain the significance</li>
<li><b>The Second Issue:</b> Exacto knives. In Korea, students carry exacto knives around instead of scissors. Something that catches ALL foreign teachers off guard the first time you tell them to "cut something out." --Again, Korean students explain why.</li>
<li><b>The Third Issue:</b> Fan death. The foreign teacher turns on the fan because the students are hot but she does not open the window. The Korean students act dramatically about how they are going to die because there is a fan on and no window open to circulate the air so they fear their own fan death (TRUE Korean theory). --The teacher secretly closes the window and Britney points out that the Korean students are all alive.</li>
<li><b>The Theme:</b> Explaining differences to other cultures helps us learn new things. You are not right and I'm not wrong in the way we do things, it's just different</li>
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Then, Belle thought we needed a song at the end. I agreed so she sent me a popular 30-second<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BNDdVaGNU0" target="_blank"> commercial in Korea</a> and asked me to change the words. I obliged and it actually turned out really cute! The cheesy song lyrics are below. Feel free to click the link and sing my lyrics instead :)</div>
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You and me, you and me.</div>
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Korean, Thai, American, cultures are unique.</div>
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I'm not right and you're not wrong no matter the technique.</div>
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I might think one way is best and you might disagree,</div>
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If you are confused I want you to just ask me.</div>
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Exacto knives? Alight!</div>
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Changing shoes? Allllright.</div>
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You and me, you and me, oh ya, ya</div>
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You and me, you and me! Hooray!</div>
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Okay, now that you have the gist of the play, let's talk about the casting and practices. In May, my school had their own speech contest for 3rd-6th graders. Being the only native English speaker I had to judge the three day after school event. Anyone who knows me knows how sensitive I can be. Well, I was beaming like a proud mama while my other co's sat with their stern, serious faces. I cringed and held back tears for the kids that were obviously pushed into the contest by their parents, and lacked all confidence in their abilities.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwA0MfFCIbjmbF4BKPVKwCsXt04x1ZzNIkSlIrupsLnKlyvOsMGA9ZDiwD32iVE7uqXzJlGeeFwc0X6J54osKotPC-id3bWIsfA_ahjTtrZqHqtvyUAuDSBXhEvdeaqMtMuztQXewTNtv2/s1600/photo-42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwA0MfFCIbjmbF4BKPVKwCsXt04x1ZzNIkSlIrupsLnKlyvOsMGA9ZDiwD32iVE7uqXzJlGeeFwc0X6J54osKotPC-id3bWIsfA_ahjTtrZqHqtvyUAuDSBXhEvdeaqMtMuztQXewTNtv2/s320/photo-42.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Their ending pose :)</td></tr>
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They were fidgeting, sweating and holding back embarrassed tears of their own. I made it to the last day without tears. And then one of the sweetest sixth grade boys walked in all dressed up. He handed us his full paged English script and began. He made it through about a sentence before what little confidence he had escaped him. I spent the rest of the time feeding him his lines one word at a time, and then when he teared up, I lost it. We were both sweaty (bc there is no AC) and wiping the endless streams of tears that were running down our cheeks.</div>
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It took me back to my own speech failures. I relived 7th grade speech and drama class where I had to perform a 5 min skit on my own in front of the class. I didn't eat for like three days prior. I started crying in the middle of it because of my nerves and tried to play it off like it was part of the skit (which no one bought). But we've all been there, and bless his little heart I wanted to show as much compassion and support as I could. However, looking back, I'm sure he was like, "What the heck is wrong with Sarah Teacher? I'm the one messing up here..."</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlE1fCDgwmnOmpQYSBFuB5HGQ8LZBrWu9hIQIokt1IfbjM803Sp91N-mifbrnq7EOe8w_B_vmZVywoynYJchJf77BdWLQHO649WLRJPfU-AUg8spL5FKIGj_BxIY8CBCn7JjHO0CcyFPal/s1600/photo-41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlE1fCDgwmnOmpQYSBFuB5HGQ8LZBrWu9hIQIokt1IfbjM803Sp91N-mifbrnq7EOe8w_B_vmZVywoynYJchJf77BdWLQHO649WLRJPfU-AUg8spL5FKIGj_BxIY8CBCn7JjHO0CcyFPal/s320/photo-41.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our many practices</td></tr>
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Ok, anyways, so it was from this pool of participants that we casted our five member play. We had two fourth graders, He Young and Seung Min, two fifth graders, In Ah and Seo Jeong, and one sixth grader Chae Eun. Our practices started May 27th and everyday after school, we spent TWO HOURS rehearsing this five min play. Oh, ya, I not only wrote it but I had to DIRECT it as well. Not my forte but the kids were good sports with me constantly changing my mind. </div>
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My biggest complaint was that other teachers from my school would just wander in, knowing nothing of the plot because it's all in English, and began correcting my students' actions and offering their opinions. The student's were given so many different directions from different people that I could feel their frustration. But in Korean society, the older the person, the more their opinion matters. I had to play the "foreigner card" and wave everyone off. The student's were getting nothing but criticism from people that DIDN'T SPEAK ENGLISH! I really had to hold in my emotions (and vent to Andrew later).</div>
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I didn't realize that every elementary school in Pohang would be competing in the June 27th event. Belle told me that last year they did horrible and the other schools were amazing. She said other schools had students that spoke perfect English and they had awesome costumes. I'm thinking, "Oh great." And the kicker, the Principal is putting a lot of pressure on my two co-teachers to make sure we get a medal. We were competing against 28 OTHER SCHOOLS!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-pa-EqnnEcJ4DvBK_A3BhR7PgcFmvjzKAFJceKPeIUxT_G65uiBowyDCcflIswG1Y45lzM2QNTM-iskPKfZScxqpBsqNR1kKINkSdrrk0i1nbmb_2WzPdQnZmsKu3pSjxxWSLhikmxFQ/s1600/DSC03788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-pa-EqnnEcJ4DvBK_A3BhR7PgcFmvjzKAFJceKPeIUxT_G65uiBowyDCcflIswG1Y45lzM2QNTM-iskPKfZScxqpBsqNR1kKINkSdrrk0i1nbmb_2WzPdQnZmsKu3pSjxxWSLhikmxFQ/s320/DSC03788.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Performance time! -Mi Young and I with our "cast".</td></tr>
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Fast forward to June 27th, performance day. We arrived at the auditorium, homemade props in hand and nervous butterflies in our stomachs. I tried my best to give as much confidence to the students as I could because two days earlier one of my co teachers went off on the students about how bad they looked and we wold never win a medal...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! We were as ready as we were going to get. When it was our turn, I put on my proud mama smile and my over done cheerleader facial expressions and encouraged them all the way! THEY DID AMAZING! I was so proud and they felt so good afterwards which was the best reaction I could have hoped for. Their confidence level was so high and their smiles were so big that all that hard work had paid off. So naturally, we headed to get pizza and celebrate. </div>
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We won't know the results for a couple of weeks so keep your fingers crossed! You can watch their performance below :)<br />
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea36.040215868801113 129.36401367187535.628795368801114 128.718566671875 36.451636368801111 130.009460671875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-29839946374013575722013-06-07T06:11:00.000-07:002013-06-07T06:11:28.087-07:00Temple Stay: A Growth in Spiritual Maturity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing in our uniforms</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">I want to warn you; this post holds a lot of personal and spiritual thoughts for me as well as our experiences during our temple stay. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>"You shall not bow down to them [idols] or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God..." -Exodus 20:5</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">This is the verse that has been occupying my mind for the last week. When we were in Korea the first time, I was really interested in participating in a Buddhist overnight Temple Stay, however, we just never got around to it. Around 23 percent of the Korean population classifies themselves as Buddhist; and we are exposed to Buddhist symbols and temples everyday. I even have several co-teachers who practice buddhism. So I thought it was an important cultural experience to participate in to gain a better understanding of the people and culture around us.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizi8ecxF8ciJh-Y0LI5LO87i_wS_xOzZT9gUIKe_yJPCmJ1zMBfG2mElcbhoLc8sTJdGIaaeeUUHrsyiO60XoKlJoyPl79xR5E-oicnUkC52vGHr2g_cpIfdABpCAojMnoBE9PhJIn19HQ/s1600/DSC03700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizi8ecxF8ciJh-Y0LI5LO87i_wS_xOzZT9gUIKe_yJPCmJ1zMBfG2mElcbhoLc8sTJdGIaaeeUUHrsyiO60XoKlJoyPl79xR5E-oicnUkC52vGHr2g_cpIfdABpCAojMnoBE9PhJIn19HQ/s320/DSC03700.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Being a strong Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ, I was torn on whether or not I should participate in the rituals at the temple. Bowing down or worshipping idols is a sin. In this case, Buddha is an idol and I know that bowing is part of the experience, so I was really apprehensive. An idol is something that we ascribe value and worth to that would surpass the value and worth we should be giving to God. It isn't just bowing down in a physical sense but elevating something above God.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">After praying about it, I realized that the God I worship is an invisible God. The Holy Spirit is always with me and I am given an opportunity to take this Buddhist meditation time as my own private reflection with Jesus. I began to feel empowered and excited that this 24 hours would give me the opportunity to reflect and continue to build my personal relationship with God.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Ok...now on the temple stay!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEien-Yzxg4BbzjHzXIyceivObdUH62QKzT48X8mO46vpmHtrgW_WZiJXkyBqvL-qmHjqcEkOl4B_KXHWzqHbDvomBjWSCBOs3FY4NfYSf-xhBNT5Ey-v4ZrgBAQXyWeNSCZRPLTxCbelj9g/s1600/DSC03619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEien-Yzxg4BbzjHzXIyceivObdUH62QKzT48X8mO46vpmHtrgW_WZiJXkyBqvL-qmHjqcEkOl4B_KXHWzqHbDvomBjWSCBOs3FY4NfYSf-xhBNT5Ey-v4ZrgBAQXyWeNSCZRPLTxCbelj9g/s320/DSC03619.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belle and Juan-Hee</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">I ran across this particular temple on the internet about a month ago. <a href="http://sunmudo.net/" target="_blank">Golgulsa Home of Sunmudo</a> is located in Gyeongju City, about 45 min from where we live. I had invited my co-teacher, Belle, and her boyfriend, Juan-Hee, to join us and we were so excited when they agreed. So at about 4pm on Thursday we drove to the temple.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We arrived just before five, checked in and then went to our rooms to put on our temple stay uniform. A lovely faded mustard yellow vest and huge gray pants. First on our agenda was dinner. Now, I had read somewhere that they have a dinner ceremony where everyone HAS to finish every last bite on their plate, clean their plate with a water and radish and then eat the radish. Andrew and I were a bit terrified of this. But when we walked into the dining hall, we found out that that only happens on Saturday and Sundays. But we were to STILL eat every last drop of food that we took. Needless to say, we both didn't take very much in fear that we wouldn't be able to finish. The boys had to sit on one side of the dining hall, and Belle and I sat on the other. It was a very salty vegetarian meal of rice, cucumbers, bean sprouts and soup. We were both able to finish and ready for the next activity!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fqIUIKBzBQymFQyHGt1kni_t7PALZnWJ4fp2b82MfbcEiFUS0wnkKQvJ1pZcN91h0hf9GEtZDzRoSfjDjHos7IO2uTSRFDoMPBgwY01L9Cv85TCEjRVFmn6xdeMYwOBRTEOSsuCaPliW/s1600/DSC03627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fqIUIKBzBQymFQyHGt1kni_t7PALZnWJ4fp2b82MfbcEiFUS0wnkKQvJ1pZcN91h0hf9GEtZDzRoSfjDjHos7IO2uTSRFDoMPBgwY01L9Cv85TCEjRVFmn6xdeMYwOBRTEOSsuCaPliW/s200/DSC03627.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rice, cucumber, tofu, soup</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Orientation began promptly at 6:30pm and lasted about 30 min. We were briefed in English on Buddhism, bowing techniques and Sunmudo. I found the history of Buddha fascinating with similar teachings by Jesus of contentment, love and compassion towards others. The bowing was the quickest demonstration I had ever seen. She did it once and then we had to do it on our own...I was terrible, but it was an interesting learning experience.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The biggest differentiator of Golgulsa to any other Korean temple is this focus on Sunmudo, an ancient form of "meditative martial arts." It originated during the Shilla Dynasty, 57 B.C - 935 A.D. In Korean history, monks were often soldiers and called to lead people both spiritually and protect them temporarily. In the early 1990's the grandmaster established that Golgulsa would be the world headquarters for Sunmudo and wanted to introduce this art form to the public to ensure it's survival.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrbu4EdEjWIWljyDNG5hBYVNgdvSuMsstxrxTM05g7FwEPSI2W0og-PVc-xCkc9CU8kBOSHdPYKTNT_zRvgqD-ASjSefGNAzyAQwFxDmhSO12OW_7-cpYXKM841hqXL5SR2bs2NDU7S9q/s1600/DSC03645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrbu4EdEjWIWljyDNG5hBYVNgdvSuMsstxrxTM05g7FwEPSI2W0og-PVc-xCkc9CU8kBOSHdPYKTNT_zRvgqD-ASjSefGNAzyAQwFxDmhSO12OW_7-cpYXKM841hqXL5SR2bs2NDU7S9q/s320/DSC03645.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">So after our orientation, we had evening chanting and meditation for 30 min and then we started our Sunmudo training. It was explained to us that because of the circumstance of this temple, being so heavily focused on Sunmudo, both monks and Sunmudo masters lived here together. The master that gave us our lesson was not a monk. It lasted an exhausting hour and a half. The moves were very slow and involved a lot of muscle strength and control. I got stuck in the second row, and therefore often corrected by the master...so that was a bit embarrassing. We all had a good time and definitely had an experience we will never forget. We ended the training with 10 min of meditation before we walked back to our rooms for the night.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Belle and I stayed in one room while Andrew and Juan-Hee were in the next as men and women cannot share rooms at the temple. The rooms were better than expected. I figured we had to sleep in one giant open room, on the floor, with all the other temple stay participants. We did sleep on the floor, but it was nice that there wasn't a bunch of us in there. Well, a bunch of people I should say. This place had no shortage of HUGE grasshoppers, centipedes, and cockroaches. ...Did I mention we slept on the floor?! I'm sure I had a few "friends" in my bed throughout the night. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Lights were out at 10pm as we had an early morning. At 4am we were to wake-up and hike the mountain at a steep vertical angle to the top for morning chanting and bowing. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWwfH3yxX-JRKVMmC3p-KLSwLcXqSqPoOz6Fo5CbchpAS1vT5eFkSJK7iL2v_9pCH1FmX1Fn45lUOH9B3N_J0_Dxap7kbQi6xPQLHSj6brnRz4ktbSroif1UH0f-foimok1mxI_ctstjT/s1600/DSC03651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWwfH3yxX-JRKVMmC3p-KLSwLcXqSqPoOz6Fo5CbchpAS1vT5eFkSJK7iL2v_9pCH1FmX1Fn45lUOH9B3N_J0_Dxap7kbQi6xPQLHSj6brnRz4ktbSroif1UH0f-foimok1mxI_ctstjT/s200/DSC03651.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our room</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">4am came early and we began our accent to the top. I was out of breath with shaky legs from the Sunmudo training seven hours previously so the walk up was not fun. We we arrived, there were only a few floor cushions left, so again, I was in the front row! Super awkward as I had no idea what was going on. It looked very different than the chanting the night before. At the front of this small temple was a statue of Buddha. My fear had been realized. I was on my knees at the foot of an idol. At the orientation the night before, it was explained that bowing at a temple was a sign of respect, much like we do on the streets to elder Koreans as we say hello. It wasn't just bowing down to Buddha. So during the 30 minute chanting service as I fought to stay awake, I decided to just soak in the whole experience. At 5am, the Sunmudo master from the night before led us in our 30 min silent meditation. At this point, my back <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcru7hQksGZlurT7LFSz3Z35p4jwhFsXUaH4vE8JGIm3z1AWoiWM1sqnF-ashRF2Ekek43EjRachmD5LQFBMh4WlZxL4shalv5SWJ-rcCk9KbhJH88I9tWw2un5HpfzCtJC4vRzIr6c2BV/s1600/DSC03659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcru7hQksGZlurT7LFSz3Z35p4jwhFsXUaH4vE8JGIm3z1AWoiWM1sqnF-ashRF2Ekek43EjRachmD5LQFBMh4WlZxL4shalv5SWJ-rcCk9KbhJH88I9tWw2un5HpfzCtJC4vRzIr6c2BV/s320/DSC03659.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4:30am morning chanting session</td></tr>
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was so uncomfortable I no longer had to fight to stay awake. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">I began to use this time to really focus on God. The serene environment was the perfect place to meditate on my own saviors greatness and all he has done for the world and me. For by his grace, I was given the opportunity to be in this place at this exact moment thinking these exact thoughts of gratitude. Even though I was surrounded by lotus lanterns, Buddhist paintings and statues, and monks, I just asked God to fill me with the Holy Spirit once again. I was at peace with being in this place, and participating in these rituals because my heart belongs to Jesus and there was no fear of infiltration. I humbly asked him for a fresh supply of grace to reignite my heart's affection towards him. It was such a peaceful moment.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKf8IwqdfG2H6ZqSNn0ni05W5FbZ3SQyE1B6Afza62UttyHHoY-v10BUnQnigdl-EbZmxM6zGmQrEFKPIjcq2ET0Ioi7JiHB6kPhibaV4ah9VZTZSgiSiMGdIPwkeHRmHG0ielMr3YiLc/s1600/DSC03667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKf8IwqdfG2H6ZqSNn0ni05W5FbZ3SQyE1B6Afza62UttyHHoY-v10BUnQnigdl-EbZmxM6zGmQrEFKPIjcq2ET0Ioi7JiHB6kPhibaV4ah9VZTZSgiSiMGdIPwkeHRmHG0ielMr3YiLc/s200/DSC03667.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking meditation</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">After the 30 min sitting meditation, we followed the master in a very slow, 30 min walking meditation down the mountain. In a single file line, we walked in silence. Listening to the calmness of the morning, smelling the fresh air and listening to the songs of the birds; it was a peaceful, leg-shaking walk. When we finished walking, we stood in a circle as he led us in some morning stretching. We then ate breakfast (the exact same meal as the night before) and then went back to our rooms for an hour before the next activity. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQOG1uG59epKOS2iKZ13hjs1BYfFhBDVqvwr7cNPEBj_pzZkxf-zinDgQdLiITcbynuC2lNVERs-wgS2f5ZUsO8s_7yioPlVtqUk5fzM2HPR7aWzGLHioYGv1enclkss_oJ02isZ1znpj/s1600/DSC03732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQOG1uG59epKOS2iKZ13hjs1BYfFhBDVqvwr7cNPEBj_pzZkxf-zinDgQdLiITcbynuC2lNVERs-wgS2f5ZUsO8s_7yioPlVtqUk5fzM2HPR7aWzGLHioYGv1enclkss_oJ02isZ1znpj/s200/DSC03732.JPG" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">At 8:30am, we had another hour and a half of Sumudo training. I was not ready. Actually I was scared, and I wanted to make sure we got their early so I was not stuck in the front again! However, to our surprise, this training was much softer. We ended up doing Zen yoga the entire time. It was relaxing, comical, and calming all at the same time. When the yoga ended, we had a 30 minute break before we had the opportunity to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> bow 108 times or not. We decided to opt out and hike once again, to the top of the mountain to rest and get good seats for the Sunmudo demonstration. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">At 11am, the demonstration began. I was a little disappointed because their normal performers were out of the country performing so we had a really watered down version. However, it didn't take away from the incredible strength these men had. We were blown away by some of their moves! We ate lunch at 11:30 (again, the EXACT same meal as the </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> two previous) then we collected our stuff to check out!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Overall, it was a fantastic experience. To get to participate in rituals so ancient, as a non-believer was something that I consider a privilege. The simplicity at which these people live and enjoy life is inspirational. My fear of idolatry was just, but once I dug a little deeper, and prayed about it, God used this opportunity to draw me closer to him. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A Korean experience not to be missed!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">"The road to a mountain always leads to a temple;</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif;">The road to the temple eventually merges with the road to nature.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif;">Leave all worldly sufferings behind,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif;">Let the nature breathe into you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif;">Reflect on yourself;</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif;">'Tis the time for meditation and moderation.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif;">It is a healing process invoked by seeing yourself, bared in the midst of nature and made aware to every passing moment."</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUaYO0-LhrvV83VCAQoXphgpWW59cw2_UuodpimYg2DKyUTDXOndmQs_3Ow1gNT6INLvilcZDqjphlnuKZyhGwiKdqDk_vFP7DSA1N_Jgl1jGXrK5PwsaOjmpSyD79FptL2_GJVyfiTdY/s1600/DSC03655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUaYO0-LhrvV83VCAQoXphgpWW59cw2_UuodpimYg2DKyUTDXOndmQs_3Ow1gNT6INLvilcZDqjphlnuKZyhGwiKdqDk_vFP7DSA1N_Jgl1jGXrK5PwsaOjmpSyD79FptL2_GJVyfiTdY/s200/DSC03655.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belle's favorite Sunmudo pose</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsfIfjniQkzmIlubYyk4GYIeBIqfuT4v7f6KK0bujnyn7OqdlX4ZtZKZQpAV6f3aafvqSYl1iCjlpaC_n30WuG6aqKCe49v8XKQ0Qw0rbmQhq6QJtL0FtNEkq7Lp-sYYtv5_9e-Khc8c-/s1600/DSC03694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsfIfjniQkzmIlubYyk4GYIeBIqfuT4v7f6KK0bujnyn7OqdlX4ZtZKZQpAV6f3aafvqSYl1iCjlpaC_n30WuG6aqKCe49v8XKQ0Qw0rbmQhq6QJtL0FtNEkq7Lp-sYYtv5_9e-Khc8c-/s320/DSC03694.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gulgolsa Temple Stay</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At 8:30am Sunmundo training</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our group posing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZwjWeuX3zFUaCXkckLWhmzFrUxikNsSaAEwBB2LJ3ysvFBcYNzDd7k8JwCXLweOeMKSKfwRCUgeTeJsaYx6f1HExKcEMLGAVR-XeFF5wFi2-NgKQniTdx_KdGSSPOaaFwmCMwBYOkmCJ/s1600/DSC03686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZwjWeuX3zFUaCXkckLWhmzFrUxikNsSaAEwBB2LJ3ysvFBcYNzDd7k8JwCXLweOeMKSKfwRCUgeTeJsaYx6f1HExKcEMLGAVR-XeFF5wFi2-NgKQniTdx_KdGSSPOaaFwmCMwBYOkmCJ/s320/DSC03686.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunmundo master and his bamboo stick....</td></tr>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-69377784286880071872013-05-20T02:22:00.001-07:002013-05-20T02:22:08.013-07:00There's More Than Meets the Eye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ufCcD-Da8wOWCHQPjtacwzzrMoDbherAHGtGETdVs9TW9YvqGY3tbbmNNnNde9y1ZRfSY05jdmVaaQNzMnMUAgT_Q4U8FICVxeJiLqCV_k6X8x03UXjUUpQLK1eObdkThRUZozCeiTeX/s1600/buns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ufCcD-Da8wOWCHQPjtacwzzrMoDbherAHGtGETdVs9TW9YvqGY3tbbmNNnNde9y1ZRfSY05jdmVaaQNzMnMUAgT_Q4U8FICVxeJiLqCV_k6X8x03UXjUUpQLK1eObdkThRUZozCeiTeX/s320/buns.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We had a three day weekend so we decided to get out of Pohang for a bit and enjoy some time in Seoul. Instead of checking out palaces, temples and museums; we were focused on western food options!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00fsS8PvdvFvPuua5x_DJ3gXyCw2a3peVbiRmCnjOZgAssvcy8D0Dhc9x5JtjLl-wwR55o6MPeVkFJRepcEWhbzDu1Xjle4MFJwIz42PY_bR5iwJ0dFBY9Qwt4UuXPoZOcZTR3rjvucu2/s1600/bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00fsS8PvdvFvPuua5x_DJ3gXyCw2a3peVbiRmCnjOZgAssvcy8D0Dhc9x5JtjLl-wwR55o6MPeVkFJRepcEWhbzDu1Xjle4MFJwIz42PY_bR5iwJ0dFBY9Qwt4UuXPoZOcZTR3rjvucu2/s200/bus.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
We left about 8:15am on Friday morning to catch the intercity bus that would take us to the closest KTX (high speed train) station. Our only option was to get on the 8:50 am bus to SinGyeongju station because the next bus didn't leave until 9:45 which would have been cutting it WAY to close. We got to the bus station at about 8:45am, just in time to purchase tickets and wait in line. Well, the bus already looked pretty full and we were about 10th in line to still get on. When we finally got to the front of the line to hand the driver our tickets, he told us our only option to get on this bus was to stand. With no choice, we stood in the aisle along side 50 of our closest Korean friends. Picture a smaller version of a charter bus...now picture us standing in the aisle.<br />
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It wasn't so bad actually. It was a quick 40 minute ride to the KTX station. We had about an hour to kill until out train to Seoul so we grabbed a quick breakfast and enjoyed the view. This is a new station, less than a year old, and is located in a truly beautiful surrounding.<br />
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We boarded the train and 2.5 hours later we arrived at Seoul Station. It was great to be back in Seoul. The city is so vast with more than 10,000,000 million people! We felt like little country Pohang bumpkins visiting the big city.<br />
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We stayed at the BOA Guesthouse located in Hongdae which proved to be a smart choice. The hostel was clean, updated, and the location was perfect. After checking in, we decided to venture to Itaewaon, which is also known as the foreigner district. It's always a nice change to be around other foreigners. The citizens in Seoul see foreigners so often that they don't stare at us walking down the street, like we get in Pohang. Our first stop was a late lunch at Taco Bell! And wow was it delicious! After walking around for a few hours, we decided to grab at beer and people watch at a cute little pub.<br />
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We went back to the hostel to rest for a bit before heading out to the river to witness all the lanterns lit up in honor of Buddha's birthday. It was SO UNBELIEVABLY crowded, but we managed to snap a few photos. We grabbed a really late dinner at Subway and then headed back for some much needed rest!<br />
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We let ourselves sleep in a bit on Saturday morning because we were tired and we really had no plans. We decided to just explore the Hongdae area. It's home to Hongik University and has a real college town feel. Tons of cheap clothing shops, bars, and restaurants for every pallet! Our first mission was to find the "Trick Eye Museum." An overpriced exhibit where you can take pictures with the paintings as if you are a part of them. Well, it took us about an hour to actually find it. Between the terrible internet directions and a little arguing, we finally gave up and asked the tourist center for help. Turns out we were within about 50 yards the whole time.... Again, it was overly crowded but we had a really good time. Check out the pictures below :)<br />
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After the Trick Eye Museum, we headed for lunch and then did a little shopping. Went back to the <br />
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hostel for a little R&R before bearing the downpour to eat dinner. It rained REALLY hard the entire night which dampened any evening plans. We found a small little burger place then went to a coffee house to people watch. Have you ever walked narrow sidewalks in a city of ten-million while everyone is carrying an umbrella?! Super annoying and frustrating.<br />
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We left about 10:30am on Sunday morning and headed back to Pohang. It was a great short little trip and fun to get out of Pohang for a weekend. Seoul really makes our city seem like a small little town; but we do love it! We can't wait to return to Seoul in August and act as tour guides for Brian and Becky!!! We could not be more excited to introduce them to some Korean culture :)<br />
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Until next time!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just relaxing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh sneaky, sneaky!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah is "big size."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8rYdl4OWOY15X796QoE2rfxyKRH57iuQDOrFEdD5ZuyUkqIYiEh55aXwKRurVYD1VFW0XCcFl9o9kRG-nQwgZoehnE92kEWAMchsgAT22Q0fYrlIlOswYCAWbVIetIBlooHyaYIW8LFq/s1600/DSC03557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8rYdl4OWOY15X796QoE2rfxyKRH57iuQDOrFEdD5ZuyUkqIYiEh55aXwKRurVYD1VFW0XCcFl9o9kRG-nQwgZoehnE92kEWAMchsgAT22Q0fYrlIlOswYCAWbVIetIBlooHyaYIW8LFq/s320/DSC03557.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will you accept this rose?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4fidcvv2zds1hj2kyHYoRuUebAvOFttftBGiMm59lX0M7fDx_cdt8EF7zIhIg_R7Qdleh4_-SXHeLpFlRSz1Va-DWk-_MpV9AFqzD6u074YNHQ7rhcl4Vp8RjQGvexK0ppfEcDaDpeAd/s1600/DSC03559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4fidcvv2zds1hj2kyHYoRuUebAvOFttftBGiMm59lX0M7fDx_cdt8EF7zIhIg_R7Qdleh4_-SXHeLpFlRSz1Va-DWk-_MpV9AFqzD6u074YNHQ7rhcl4Vp8RjQGvexK0ppfEcDaDpeAd/s320/DSC03559.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spider Woman!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZDg4h9A-hk14Iyde932b4jyEVZiLcKmeuzBGjWSS346KAXSsYcz9qb5gfIm6LN2MFdgXVXGKGiypiW7aM2Rz0_OZUpAC1cDN3pgfFJMtK3l1triTAI59hhjdblxQmHk6VYx68k4_f0qE/s1600/DSC03567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZDg4h9A-hk14Iyde932b4jyEVZiLcKmeuzBGjWSS346KAXSsYcz9qb5gfIm6LN2MFdgXVXGKGiypiW7aM2Rz0_OZUpAC1cDN3pgfFJMtK3l1triTAI59hhjdblxQmHk6VYx68k4_f0qE/s320/DSC03567.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Come on!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANvXTBHsgG4YH6Y2h3OpToiQY-MH5X1_0C_O1-XaDW12Z-ZyXKgIsf_sCSUX1lrU71BJxMsty91Q39p4bnSgu3WN5p9HBTe43x_Gnr9dFQzwsGvvO8zNPG6d3K8vbrFcGBY0ekwe0_-pS/s1600/DSC03568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANvXTBHsgG4YH6Y2h3OpToiQY-MH5X1_0C_O1-XaDW12Z-ZyXKgIsf_sCSUX1lrU71BJxMsty91Q39p4bnSgu3WN5p9HBTe43x_Gnr9dFQzwsGvvO8zNPG6d3K8vbrFcGBY0ekwe0_-pS/s320/DSC03568.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice trick shot!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmt_IeqlOOn2SEyISq6U0uiFYRdwWeAh__9BkGccEMpaPCorIvkpek9UmtX8QUHV8GqVFworzYwFTtc7OFWtXtuwxbuZH5HjIfLMDn7mlXIL_NU8YcfHrewVjXNHrGKzoXOTsTPvDYKZs/s1600/DSC03579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmt_IeqlOOn2SEyISq6U0uiFYRdwWeAh__9BkGccEMpaPCorIvkpek9UmtX8QUHV8GqVFworzYwFTtc7OFWtXtuwxbuZH5HjIfLMDn7mlXIL_NU8YcfHrewVjXNHrGKzoXOTsTPvDYKZs/s320/DSC03579.JPG" width="240" /></a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVV5wOGuxFIKDTQ91VJC8Fvq5EHrUaOGifbU3dOlyiDFy0HcHVjWdVtu4U0xjC_lpAyKn26muoM1ZMn246O6ndHY6oSFxw4GWmoOd6_unCOHFA36zv8o4yLdurSyBFyCHFwBzhpUmooym/s1600/DSC03575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVV5wOGuxFIKDTQ91VJC8Fvq5EHrUaOGifbU3dOlyiDFy0HcHVjWdVtu4U0xjC_lpAyKn26muoM1ZMn246O6ndHY6oSFxw4GWmoOd6_unCOHFA36zv8o4yLdurSyBFyCHFwBzhpUmooym/s200/DSC03575.JPG" width="175" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How cute is this :)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnE46uUrc005TPhMK9VafAc4HClu2MTCwOW5wNkY9XPvD6Pv-vktii4nqYjLWV6Rdw5zXV7Nwn966qfM9clZ1T6GwQDDt-EQSQwA9ovpcaThQROhxM0YRqBj8qJ4egKikhtD8jgVYnq_v/s1600/DSC03584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnE46uUrc005TPhMK9VafAc4HClu2MTCwOW5wNkY9XPvD6Pv-vktii4nqYjLWV6Rdw5zXV7Nwn966qfM9clZ1T6GwQDDt-EQSQwA9ovpcaThQROhxM0YRqBj8qJ4egKikhtD8jgVYnq_v/s320/DSC03584.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey, how ya doin? Thanks for coming out!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMQMPSCiIkJzbJ5L28evrilzD4hnxmDi62xtP6Uzme77HosetePpiGugflVAA_wQNFcSpYgPyZsGr5zbws0cwYyXZP3uPGlBsOUo-YXDnpLYK2Y86l9O1lXu_7BnaUkQIRw-gZuVJAJil/s1600/DSC03577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMQMPSCiIkJzbJ5L28evrilzD4hnxmDi62xtP6Uzme77HosetePpiGugflVAA_wQNFcSpYgPyZsGr5zbws0cwYyXZP3uPGlBsOUo-YXDnpLYK2Y86l9O1lXu_7BnaUkQIRw-gZuVJAJil/s320/DSC03577.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whatcha lookin at?!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIsvnYLW6_6JosfhxirKmgta5jNT-loj5WcvP30ZsKrR5uNs9ziWeOMRqCiXwQBzgc-zij3XlIyBdPjw7csMaY6Fdjdhevede4vFlR6UyNYuLciHIVzmAwsQOoWgzNHJRXU_SFIHx9wbY/s1600/DSC03598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIsvnYLW6_6JosfhxirKmgta5jNT-loj5WcvP30ZsKrR5uNs9ziWeOMRqCiXwQBzgc-zij3XlIyBdPjw7csMaY6Fdjdhevede4vFlR6UyNYuLciHIVzmAwsQOoWgzNHJRXU_SFIHx9wbY/s320/DSC03598.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-AKo0bs_YRHnbah6BzhuEBTYOLwGtiTZ6Z7CMUWS7lviUsaCYQtT_cMrYcGl0z59V0aYLjxS3C7pcepwNC-lhq8XPgVQjLFdF4WzcTzurdDqXz3zgqbHONbgD1Ti7ZVc1vHEu0bEe8YG/s1600/DSC03599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-AKo0bs_YRHnbah6BzhuEBTYOLwGtiTZ6Z7CMUWS7lviUsaCYQtT_cMrYcGl0z59V0aYLjxS3C7pcepwNC-lhq8XPgVQjLFdF4WzcTzurdDqXz3zgqbHONbgD1Ti7ZVc1vHEu0bEe8YG/s320/DSC03599.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just hanging around with a panda.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-43FaPkpU6LneUU2PvsOkfQTVho5KXhqy4mtlpUzV6MJwTeyUTXmTD45gunJ3K9Ooky6uskGf6a-JVyoJm3GMAMl-X5tmcfKEIFb8MZxPVhEUedofIZe2GMgJV90iGlgofC74sj9mKnu/s1600/DSC03590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-43FaPkpU6LneUU2PvsOkfQTVho5KXhqy4mtlpUzV6MJwTeyUTXmTD45gunJ3K9Ooky6uskGf6a-JVyoJm3GMAMl-X5tmcfKEIFb8MZxPVhEUedofIZe2GMgJV90iGlgofC74sj9mKnu/s320/DSC03590.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh no! My bags!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcxtg_EjQQH1ej_HT-iAswheXE4O0bUN0UXE1bFCCqoW1nefsc6h4jP5rhyjkm8Sq3JdM2KcEGyUGxFxqkqMfJuVcp-0-tDBgOcc5SUOHDLfkVQfML4GdRCRab218kkcmz5nsobssvfoX/s1600/DSC03592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcxtg_EjQQH1ej_HT-iAswheXE4O0bUN0UXE1bFCCqoW1nefsc6h4jP5rhyjkm8Sq3JdM2KcEGyUGxFxqkqMfJuVcp-0-tDBgOcc5SUOHDLfkVQfML4GdRCRab218kkcmz5nsobssvfoX/s320/DSC03592.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hahahaha!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHN28EpzKWR2VO9pVteGZmp6dzO-FvcvM-TTMy9qmpWkp-9_TWksVm9JtdDVyeZbRMfK6WQf_LoSEu6t2ty-2ozJcqay3tZnbbkI-FDkH0Ar-r7UKfpxDsRBmk-v4MUT90vGNX7UofmUt/s1600/DSC03581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHN28EpzKWR2VO9pVteGZmp6dzO-FvcvM-TTMy9qmpWkp-9_TWksVm9JtdDVyeZbRMfK6WQf_LoSEu6t2ty-2ozJcqay3tZnbbkI-FDkH0Ar-r7UKfpxDsRBmk-v4MUT90vGNX7UofmUt/s320/DSC03581.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A DRAGON!!!!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvgIm7ZSTnMsKSj6LqkHNEHPJGtvWZEXQKu65b-MHB7F12kYbloaaX8eE4U7vLnEt-MzTScagFFbN5EXpCblIvwiijjs4svDryUSDId_QJsM-965G8_RvJloN9ZxaOg5vJWC9lGr6Be8Y/s1600/DSC03608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvgIm7ZSTnMsKSj6LqkHNEHPJGtvWZEXQKu65b-MHB7F12kYbloaaX8eE4U7vLnEt-MzTScagFFbN5EXpCblIvwiijjs4svDryUSDId_QJsM-965G8_RvJloN9ZxaOg5vJWC9lGr6Be8Y/s200/DSC03608.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hi-ya!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjodbpsKS7OmMuDkKd69zKW-mAxrnidLfEK_8HYF-9EIpSJ3PkOY6WR6J8N9WwGG-8aE7lBCQd4UffNZs1dt3DDzCql5HHSM2nbaw8hSRhyhhtb8h0QVXzvtRr2nP3nkW8TRs8PGMUbv5D/s1600/DSC03601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjodbpsKS7OmMuDkKd69zKW-mAxrnidLfEK_8HYF-9EIpSJ3PkOY6WR6J8N9WwGG-8aE7lBCQd4UffNZs1dt3DDzCql5HHSM2nbaw8hSRhyhhtb8h0QVXzvtRr2nP3nkW8TRs8PGMUbv5D/s320/DSC03601.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXhJaDZQ_FfgAlSKqcD4286qf7D5sXd7QiiG0xi36nXgwvzDMWO82aDZlf7z_r4msNBE1FjRM77E2k3N75jSymaudr8RBlYnooyhzC1bNz8nB_UoZczUPk-hKjaB9hXYQFSMgD_K2kmcv/s1600/DSC03609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXhJaDZQ_FfgAlSKqcD4286qf7D5sXd7QiiG0xi36nXgwvzDMWO82aDZlf7z_r4msNBE1FjRM77E2k3N75jSymaudr8RBlYnooyhzC1bNz8nB_UoZczUPk-hKjaB9hXYQFSMgD_K2kmcv/s320/DSC03609.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inappropriate...</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-1f_ZhGmgICFz13Bn9gCSHqDnQK9l7y9_KLfC5zCRlhlJ9piuZZl5kl2r0PjpDuXE3nhsnkp2hSew1cFgJPaiHyRfNz3JfVBxvYwM7li0kGONayXGN5SlFsSiwrCBWrlZ2VWe_qEINln/s1600/DSC03604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-1f_ZhGmgICFz13Bn9gCSHqDnQK9l7y9_KLfC5zCRlhlJ9piuZZl5kl2r0PjpDuXE3nhsnkp2hSew1cFgJPaiHyRfNz3JfVBxvYwM7li0kGONayXGN5SlFsSiwrCBWrlZ2VWe_qEINln/s320/DSC03604.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, hey there...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1kviUMI-hwJKFkC6y1zTlirDP5mJ4Xgl_TdKRgPVX810xJndyiEimTv0F27pVIIDwrCKKcXy7Zo9g5zJ_uzTPgZKfB2NQWZFrYWMvGQzkj-xJPem2UP2QbMsQoDr4JgHE406f6mIC8Ar/s1600/DSC03615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1kviUMI-hwJKFkC6y1zTlirDP5mJ4Xgl_TdKRgPVX810xJndyiEimTv0F27pVIIDwrCKKcXy7Zo9g5zJ_uzTPgZKfB2NQWZFrYWMvGQzkj-xJPem2UP2QbMsQoDr4JgHE406f6mIC8Ar/s200/DSC03615.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chillin' in the pool!</td></tr>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-26114779231932034642013-04-28T20:09:00.001-07:002013-04-28T20:09:30.558-07:00Relax, We're Okay!EEEEK! Sorry it's been so long since my last update. I have no excuses other than we haven't been up to anything exciting or blog worthy. So I decided to make this an informative post and hopefully it will put some of my family and friends at ease with the current situation on the the Korean peninsula.<br />
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I have to start out by saying that life over here is virtually un-phased by the craziness that is coming from our 'totally sane' neighbor to the north. I get more stressed out from family and friends sending my panicked messages than I do from anything going on here.<br />
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I have noticed that CNN and Yahoo! and basically all major American media outlets are covering their homepages with North Korea's latest threats. The thing is, these threats have been going on for years. They even went on when we were here back in 2009-2010. It seems like for whatever reason, the US is suddenly taking an interest in the animosity between this divided nation. I don't want to be naive in thinking that NOTHING will happen, because it very much can. Kim Jong Un is unpredictable, young, and demands attention. But life here is going on without worry. I feel that although it's important to have an exit strategy I am trying not to get too worked up about anything until I get word from the US Embassy or my co-teachers to do so.<br />
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The semester is still off and running and the spring weather here has been unpredictable. It's warm and sunny in the morning, then we get an unexpected downpour, then it clears up again, then it's back to coats and scarves the next day. Sheesh...<br />
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We have a three day weekend coming up, May 17th-19th and have booked a trip to Seoul that we are pretty pumped about. It's been a long time since we just walked around the big city. So be on the lookout for a post about that soon!<br />
<br />
Sorry I has been so long and this post is less than exciting. But we have some fun things on the horizon that will be blog worthy!<br />
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-37559634695554035892013-03-09T20:26:00.000-08:002013-03-09T20:26:02.372-08:00A Blazing Saturday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYAtBOyKvFL6F-58YiQdSAB4O3Y6Ix2wpQOBRv6fZ_Aq02g1HY-t9XUMWrgGKtqRajKY3f8xmD7PmMQqrRsKKtYKsGrkp410Yho7_ZJtzKsrPhXzWjZKRUfQRamqWQcO7sUdU25lWq9i1/s1600/Fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYAtBOyKvFL6F-58YiQdSAB4O3Y6Ix2wpQOBRv6fZ_Aq02g1HY-t9XUMWrgGKtqRajKY3f8xmD7PmMQqrRsKKtYKsGrkp410Yho7_ZJtzKsrPhXzWjZKRUfQRamqWQcO7sUdU25lWq9i1/s400/Fire.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I had been looking forward to Saturday all week. The weather was predicted to be a perfect 70 degrees and sunny. After such a cold winter, I could not have been more excited for springtime weather. Andrew and I decided to check out a local park to see what it had to offer. After a short 10 minutes bus ride we arrived to be beautiful park, built on the side of a mountain and bustling with kids and families enjoying the beautiful day. We decided to climb one of the hiking trails. Hiking isn't a common past time for Andrew and I but we wanted to get a birds eye view of the beach and coastline of Pohang.<br />
<br />
After a while, we descended down the backside so we could walk beachside.
We stopped for about 30 min to watch a group of fellow foreigners playing some beach softball. After a while we all started smelling smoke. Looking around we could see some smoke clouds, but we just figured it was burning trash, a common practice in Korea. Andrew and I decided to venture back to our apartment and noticed the smoke clouds getting bigger. It was be becoming more difficult to breathe and ash was beginning to fall from the sky. We decided to run to our apartment to close all the windows we had opened and then venture to see where the fire was coming from.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83mMFdCV4Qz2glxtbSbIk2eTEMLWsFi6KQ5YioemrDnRzVDBIatCA3mb3KHJ4P9eM_KFpoqeNDk_kIB6OV9KwWKS_lwPmQ3ODptdibMuKbr9J_2uzhOLINfrWR43kIvj74xCrhzws_pz_/s1600/Sarah+Fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83mMFdCV4Qz2glxtbSbIk2eTEMLWsFi6KQ5YioemrDnRzVDBIatCA3mb3KHJ4P9eM_KFpoqeNDk_kIB6OV9KwWKS_lwPmQ3ODptdibMuKbr9J_2uzhOLINfrWR43kIvj74xCrhzws_pz_/s320/Sarah+Fire.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking down our street to find the fire</td></tr>
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We walked about 400 yards from our apt and stopped dead in our tracks as we could see a raging fire among the tree tops.
We looked around nervously as the other Koreans were also stopped and staring at the fire. Not being able to understand what was being said, Andrew and I became very uneasy. We decided to walk back to our apartment when we saw one of the scariest sites of our lives. It was straight out of a Hollywood movie. The elementary school near our home was directly in the growing fires path. I have never seen flames like that in all of my life. It looked like the school was set in front of a green screen and the Forrest fire was digitally created. I quickly snapped out of that day dream as I could feel the heat from the flames and the loud crackle of the fire moving down the hill to the school. Its next stop was our neighborhood.<br />
<br />
Not getting direction from any sort of authority, Andrew suggested we run home, grab a backpack with a few essentials and get out of there. So we ran to our apartment and started throwing in our computer, chargers, a change of clothes, camera, passports, and toothbrushes. As we were leaving, we could see the flames rolling over the hill behind our apartment. That's when it really hit me. This is happening. Our apartment could burn down.<br />
<br />
I put the handkerchief over my mouth and we ran out of the building and watched in awe with the rest of our neighbors as the fire trickled down the hill.
I had my one moment of panic but Andrew calmed me down. Reassuring me that we were safe and the stuff we had in our backpacks was a bonus. He grabbed my hand and we decided to walk downtown to a coffee shop to see if we could get Internet and find out what was going on.<br />
<br />
The scene during our walk downtown looked like a movie set. Between the building gaps, you could see flames and the smoke turned the beautiful blue sky grey. It was so windy that containing the flames almost seemed like an impossible task. Planes were flying over head with their buckets of water and the traffic out of the city was at a standstill. Announcements were being made over the intercom system but being totally in Korean we had no idea what was being said which put me on edge a bit. We made it to the coffee shop but we weren't able to get any information.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiys8-ywTdlHS1J40ssxiLK40_tFFH1tJCX7UJgEZg5zuaGhsK9swPgL2mr0oj8qKOP84A1f9NDlxi2xJyoad2XPGVzYkdZ3awsqG7lVMeB8xK_tR5fb2rcPAQSDWs_2U6ERBMJf1aI_5/s1600/Andrew+Fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiys8-ywTdlHS1J40ssxiLK40_tFFH1tJCX7UJgEZg5zuaGhsK9swPgL2mr0oj8qKOP84A1f9NDlxi2xJyoad2XPGVzYkdZ3awsqG7lVMeB8xK_tR5fb2rcPAQSDWs_2U6ERBMJf1aI_5/s320/Andrew+Fire.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew next to our apt watching the firefighters</td></tr>
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After a while, we decided to head back with our fingers crossed that everything was ok. The smoke in the tree lines was so thick it was hard to see if the fires were still burning near our apt. When we got to our street, people were still outside but none of the homes or apts seemed to be damaged! The flames were still trickling down the hill but they were containing it! It now looked like hundreds of little campfires all over the hill. The fire department was there with their hoses trying to wet the last bits of dry forest and doing their best to put the fires out.<br />
<br />
We noticed people going back into the apartment buildings so we felt safe enough to do so. We had not eaten since 11am and it was now almost 8pm. We decided to get something to eat and get out of the area of our apt once again as the smoke in the air was heavy and my lungs and eyes were beginning to burn.<br />
We we returned, the firemen were still there but we were very confident that everything was under control and the hundreds of little fires had greatly dwindled.<br />
<br />
I had such a feeling of humility come over me. A fire, or any natural disaster for that matter, just reassured me that I am really not in control...but I know who is. When we were for sure our apartment was engulfed, I can honestly say that I felt a sense of calmness that everything was going to be ok.<br />
<br />
<i>For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear) but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of<b> calm and well-balanced mind </b>and discipline and self-control. -2 Timothy 1:7</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>God is out refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. -Psalm 46</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9iqpg8DZQjX4ycjIZV3NKLRCfFMMzohL1Xb7QwEQD5tL2KkSzwIGRjR0u68ie-EMdmvopBsOTMT6F8K2Y7sY1GBR0fUZErGu_7oGC6lJT_IWTEEkujMBw2U05q5X7DHAc-FKIycYpefm/s1600/Fire+Area.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9iqpg8DZQjX4ycjIZV3NKLRCfFMMzohL1Xb7QwEQD5tL2KkSzwIGRjR0u68ie-EMdmvopBsOTMT6F8K2Y7sY1GBR0fUZErGu_7oGC6lJT_IWTEEkujMBw2U05q5X7DHAc-FKIycYpefm/s320/Fire+Area.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see how wide the wind spread the fire</td></tr>
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<i><br /></i>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S5sX7RY5CMc" target="_blank">Here you can watch a video of the fire from a Korean news team.</a><br />
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-36787192655528401302013-02-19T00:52:00.000-08:002013-02-19T00:52:17.642-08:006th Month: Recap<br />
Now that we have returned to Korea and are approaching the 6th month mark on February 23rd, here is a poem about all of the oddities that we never thought we would get used to again and some we still don’t understand:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2In3frZeKnj6wXsVQ24CdBoZL7jyrjFNX4cMbB_NFEOnOb-80JyLsMyO_W00R_xLL5U7zmz3TuMKkOaGJirt4I_8CHugU7eeDFtmrhrMVNMLM72mXLo0MYcQ4LA0xVlJYJZBxdNqkj7m/s1600/busblog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2In3frZeKnj6wXsVQ24CdBoZL7jyrjFNX4cMbB_NFEOnOb-80JyLsMyO_W00R_xLL5U7zmz3TuMKkOaGJirt4I_8CHugU7eeDFtmrhrMVNMLM72mXLo0MYcQ4LA0xVlJYJZBxdNqkj7m/s320/busblog.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>
Korea is a funny place, filled with new age and tradition,<br />
Experiencing different cultures has always been our mission.<br />
<br />
There are things here and there that just don’t seem right,<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-W_tutG-tuD8o0qlHAVWSib-r9hyphenhyphen2rzmlnTi5peYkN8hLkh3d3VU1UjuB-29UgkdBUsr4H4FSFNVZkIGm9srn_hvXOi56xHh_dKqyCUpUe3SL81swhQgRBmD7wqwGCo1_KI4AMO6cYOao/s1600/toiletblog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-W_tutG-tuD8o0qlHAVWSib-r9hyphenhyphen2rzmlnTi5peYkN8hLkh3d3VU1UjuB-29UgkdBUsr4H4FSFNVZkIGm9srn_hvXOi56xHh_dKqyCUpUe3SL81swhQgRBmD7wqwGCo1_KI4AMO6cYOao/s200/toiletblog.jpg" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.google.co.kr/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=595&q=strange+korea&oq=strange+korea&gs_l=img.3..0i24l10.2138.4037.0.4255.13.11.0.2.2.0.109.1013.9j2.11.0...0.0...1ac.1.3.img.H6vsg-9nDo4#hl=en&newwindow=1&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=korean+public+restroom&oq=korean+public+restroom&gs_l=img.3...156681.161849.3.161969.23.22.0.1.1.0.133.1944.20j2.22.0...0.0...1c.1.3.img.jJlP4J8s53k&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.42553238,d.aGc&fp=46c256c418090013&biw=1280&bih=595&imgrc=A5-NGarv2v__lM%3A%3BNwybEi1Vd-D3qM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fanonymousradioshow.files.wordpress.com%252F2008%252F03%252Fchinese-toilet1.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fanonymousradioshow.wordpress.com%252Ftag%252Fchina%252F%3B352%3B480" target="_blank">*Not my photo*</a></td></tr>
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Some make us laugh while others enrage us to fight.<br />
<br />
With so many awful smells we often hold our noses,<br />
Between drying fish, trash and kimchi, we’d rather sniff roses.<br />
<br />
Walking the streets you’ll notice one thing can’t be found,<br />
Public trash cans don’t exist but there’s no trash on the ground!<br />
<br />
Convert this to memory, you’ll never want to assume,<br />
Bring your own toilet paper into the public restrooms.<br />
<br />
Speaking of bathrooms, that’s its own gross situation,<br />
Used paper goes in the trash, are there no laws for sanitation?!<br />
<br />
To save the city money, schools aren’t cooled or heated.<br />
We have to suffer in the winter and in the summer repeated.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGnCsK-eEfzYFh3JdhyP1xC-qZlMOPtDGjrQE3ZIngdDfkRHtuL1tJq7Hl2LpvjEG4g52VVLqPlRmfysahYg4_1r7vfFJ329TyZveSRZirPzad2ShL95U4Qr8115M4z-k1-tmxfbYaMOH/s1600/scooter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGnCsK-eEfzYFh3JdhyP1xC-qZlMOPtDGjrQE3ZIngdDfkRHtuL1tJq7Hl2LpvjEG4g52VVLqPlRmfysahYg4_1r7vfFJ329TyZveSRZirPzad2ShL95U4Qr8115M4z-k1-tmxfbYaMOH/s200/scooter.jpg" width="176" /></a>We teach in thick jackets, scarves, and two pairs of socks,<br />
The kids carry hand warmers and wear gloves to use chalk.<br />
<br />
The best thing about Korea, is their public transportation,<br />
Causing many headaches in this developed great nation.<br />
<br />
Don’t get me wrong, all joking put aside,<br />
There is no place we can’t go without finding a ride.<br />
<br />
The problem is traffic laws equate to merely ‘suggestions,’<br />
Cars, busses and scooters do what they want without question.<br />
<br />
The sidewalks aren’t safe and are meant to be shared,<br />
Between cars, motorbikes and people, no lives are spared.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGDLRT7NdYFYQ6LAmEu6DPmNzgmsUl1S3CNmpfibclZ_ZaZuJgAUPzcjJEz2EEUP19SLqYhgMjN1G1w9t4u7CPpkPypHQ4rq586sM4-ZFKiASwH-ojuHK2X91Sg-y0WQt-wpE2_6A2k55/s1600/taxi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGDLRT7NdYFYQ6LAmEu6DPmNzgmsUl1S3CNmpfibclZ_ZaZuJgAUPzcjJEz2EEUP19SLqYhgMjN1G1w9t4u7CPpkPypHQ4rq586sM4-ZFKiASwH-ojuHK2X91Sg-y0WQt-wpE2_6A2k55/s200/taxi.jpg" width="176" /></a>You ALWAYS look both ways when crossing the road<br />
Even on a one-way you can easily get mowed.<br />
<br />
In a taxi it’s best to just breathe and close your eyes<br />
All the honking and break slamming, you’re just happy to be alive.<br />
<br />
On to the busses; the most interesting of them all,<br />
You are packed like sardines with the goal not to fall.<br />
<br />
Whether you’ve waited at the stop 30 seconds or minutes,<br />
No one ever queues and people have no rudeness limits.<br />
<br />
‘Bows are being thrown and the pushing’s insane,<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLZZ1nmno_IJCMNVgeTB-txuUlEIn8KP5WcQemsFemDhxSobz4ghdZY8o_5NEvJrwYb-0m73KdG6i4FhPfxo0clKaeInFa8qXY-GXyia9yUXyde4qaDwZvTNSD7kLVSShqhnZqsw4RauA/s1600/ajumma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLZZ1nmno_IJCMNVgeTB-txuUlEIn8KP5WcQemsFemDhxSobz4ghdZY8o_5NEvJrwYb-0m73KdG6i4FhPfxo0clKaeInFa8qXY-GXyia9yUXyde4qaDwZvTNSD7kLVSShqhnZqsw4RauA/s200/ajumma.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.google.co.kr/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=korean+ajuma&oq=korean+ajuma&gs_l=img.3..0i10i24.7310.9869.31.10098.13.12.0.1.1.0.134.1106.10j2.12.0...0.0...1c.1.3.img.tVX05z8u_g8&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.42553238,d.aGc&biw=1280&bih=595&emsg=NCSR&noj=1&ei=I-ciUcSyG6iTiAfO2YDYCA#imgrc=M_zoyZu09Im1CM%3A%3BKaxKZ8FPPhCdlM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F_Q8OWC_n6WMU%252FSuK4gN8NhqI%252FAAAAAAAACR8%252FCBhfraKzyz8%252Fs400%252F3871111742_84ffbb5a9b.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fasktheexpat.blogspot.com%252F2009%252F10%252Fwho-wants-to-be-ajumma.html%3B400%3B400" target="_blank">*Not my photo*</a></td></tr>
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Old people aren’t against to using their canes.<br />
<br />
On the blue or green monster, for only a buck you can ride,<br />
Grab a hold, bend your knees as you’re thrown side to side.<br />
<br />
It’s hot and it’s smelly, filled with all different ages<br />
These bus situations often set off my rages!<br />
<br />
I’ve come pretty far, but I can’t stand the ‘butting’ in line,<br />
Happens almost everywhere and ALL OF THE TIME!<br />
<br />
It’s like they don’t ‘see me’ or think they can just cut,<br />
It’s the older generation that feels entitled to butt.<br />
<br />
One thing we have gotten used to but will never make sense,<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquU7T0OrP-46DTR2uHRnhdij-b36wk2h7cLdUroqRLwcugy3sTHtijuGIwS5DpVKewMCadGXTIn_BILtlOaJOnWtDe_jBX3Zt3QITgtt-RfRGxrTEcgeWkwUsnKMf2WVbT6jaA3IK7NKk/s1600/laundry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquU7T0OrP-46DTR2uHRnhdij-b36wk2h7cLdUroqRLwcugy3sTHtijuGIwS5DpVKewMCadGXTIn_BILtlOaJOnWtDe_jBX3Zt3QITgtt-RfRGxrTEcgeWkwUsnKMf2WVbT6jaA3IK7NKk/s200/laundry.jpg" width="176" /></a>Is making a laundry schedule, here it’s just commonsense.<br />
<br />
There is no such thing as a “quick load of laundry,”<br />
No dryers and cold weather make for quite the quandary.<br />
<br />
Many a times, I have left for my school,<br />
With wet pants and/or socks, as I planned like a fool.<br />
<br />
Not hours, but days, it takes things to dry,<br />
No more doing a ‘load’, just to get by.<br />
<br />
On a positive note, Korea’s internet is fast,<br />
The rate of downloads and surfing’s unsurpassed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXy52DvpxC_VUNrq42RvGk2BMYUFeimf032VGjD1HrWNFEVhn-_ScQ7bzm2vfd8p1l8iYk83gCLDQOdI0QQe5q8C5ePXb3LGbpW3cGuOpPMlCpVQVrBGIXWUYVUDdSFTehfyFmBPMX402B/s1600/selfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXy52DvpxC_VUNrq42RvGk2BMYUFeimf032VGjD1HrWNFEVhn-_ScQ7bzm2vfd8p1l8iYk83gCLDQOdI0QQe5q8C5ePXb3LGbpW3cGuOpPMlCpVQVrBGIXWUYVUDdSFTehfyFmBPMX402B/s200/selfie.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.kholic.com/3600/how-to-take-a-good-self-camera-picture-like-korean-girls/korean-girl-self-camera/" target="_blank">*Not my photo*</a></td></tr>
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<br />
With so many cell phones and quick access to the net,<br />
No country takes more ‘selfies,’ I could make a safe bet.<br />
<br />
Wherever you go, you can be sure there’s picture taking,<br />
But not of scenery, just themselves, with cutesy face making.<br />
<br />
Teens have albums on Facebook, full of self taken snaps,<br />
On busses, in coffee shops, or wearing MLB caps.<br />
<br />
Facemasks are worn, no matter the season,<br />
Are they sick? Are they cold? I never know the reason.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRO_TXaF5ecQm98MDWOniwlFnhY7sOMknHoJA34c6cMxCwrD-QSMjE4i6pdghD1OZmQ3_Bcup2dAxZYA8ieClgzWIJ3s1rNqaaUR-kLroFaUNoAP9JpgZ-Jp4loLmW076Hl-v5Czdtu4YH/s1600/facemask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRO_TXaF5ecQm98MDWOniwlFnhY7sOMknHoJA34c6cMxCwrD-QSMjE4i6pdghD1OZmQ3_Bcup2dAxZYA8ieClgzWIJ3s1rNqaaUR-kLroFaUNoAP9JpgZ-Jp4loLmW076Hl-v5Czdtu4YH/s200/facemask.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.google.co.kr/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=595&q=korean+face+mask&oq=korean+face+mask&gs_l=img.3..0j0i24l9.1325.3433.0.3591.16.15.0.1.1.0.157.1471.12j3.15.0...0.0...1ac.1.3.img.Tm1M_MhTzdY#hl=en&newwindow=1&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=koreans+wearing+face+mask&oq=koreans+wearing+face+mask&gs_l=img.3...8568.10626.0.11270.9.9.0.0.0.0.89.741.9.9.0...0.0...1c.1.3.img.Ls-7rAsj7-k&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.42553238,d.aGc&fp=46c256c418090013&biw=1280&bih=595&imgrc=ws_xWsA2OGTKxM%3A%3BM-Z_0Xc05RrfGM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ffarm1.staticflickr.com%252F150%252F362383225_2e58d1206c_z.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.flickr.com%252Fphotos%252F30923362%2540N00%252F362383225%252F%3B640%3B480" target="_blank">*Not my photo*</a></td></tr>
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However in wearing the masks there’s something not understood yet,<br />
Removing the mask to sneeze; not caring who they wet!<br />
<br />
<br />
Speaking of healthcare, this one still throws us for loops,<br />
Outside of the hospitals, patients will gather in groups.<br />
<br />
Not to protest or to complain about care,<br />
But to walk around and get some fresh air.<br />
<br />
Now this doesn’t seem odd, no reason for fear,<br />
Till you see them in gowns, IV bags, and drinking a beer.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5a7mlqq0GmTYQ4_iS71ZAkUiHmd3_BNULVi7cEwNxh6bO2bH9A40sUmxGKT0C0qKlOVEBzvoZQAdBXaPX_NCfo5mSEDvqwnDql4ZMGRR3VdQSBQB0lwQ5whvehBmMVmCAceg076cbcF5/s1600/hospital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5a7mlqq0GmTYQ4_iS71ZAkUiHmd3_BNULVi7cEwNxh6bO2bH9A40sUmxGKT0C0qKlOVEBzvoZQAdBXaPX_NCfo5mSEDvqwnDql4ZMGRR3VdQSBQB0lwQ5whvehBmMVmCAceg076cbcF5/s200/hospital.jpg" width="176" /></a><br />
OK, the beer was a stretch, but this I can’t lie,<br />
We often see them smoking as they wheel themselves by!<br />
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<br />
With so many more thoughts, there are not enough lines,<br />
To write all them down and create some more rhymes.<br />
<br />
This is all in good fun, I will always love Korea,<br />
Returning to teach English was our best idea!<br />
<br />
<i>**The comics are curtosey of <a href="http://roketship.tumblr.com/post/87309193" target="_blank">ROKetship</a></i><br />
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-19633526409979745332013-02-04T03:42:00.000-08:002013-02-04T03:42:09.060-08:00Part I: Bohol, Philippines2 Posts, 2 Weeks, 2.5 Countries<br />
<i>From January 19th to February 1st, we were lucky enough to spend time in the Philippines, Hong Kong and Macau. This is part one of our trip. Please scroll to the next post for part II.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sunrise landing in Bohol, Philippines</td></tr>
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<u>January 19-20th</u><br />
We began our journey at 4:20pm when we had to catch the bus from Pohang to the Gimhae airport in Busan. The trip took about two hours and we had no issues which was great. We waited about three and a half hours for our flight to Manilia that left at 10:00pm via Cebu Pacific. We arrived in Manilia at 1:30am and had the pleasure of waiting in the "2012 worst rated airport" until our next flight to Tagbilaran, the only airport on Bohol island, that left at 5:20am.
We were tired at this point and the Manilia airport was so confusing. We arrived at terminal 3, and walked all around it looking for the Philippine Air departure gate which we never found. After asking a guard and going on a wild goose hunt, we found out we needed to take a taxi to terminal 2. This airport has three terminals spread among the city. A man approached us asking if we needed a taxi. I said "yes, to terminal 2." He told me it was a set price of $15 dollars and would take about 45 min. Having a Type A personality, I did quite a bit of research on the Philippines before arriving and it said to always take a metered cab. I asked the woman at the information center how much it should cost. She said $4 and takes about 10 min. We walked outside, got in a metered cab and exactly in 10 minutes and $4 later we were at terminal 2.<br />
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We went through security and then sat there for three hours until our flight.
The flight to Bohol was quick and the sunrise was beautiful. That was the only positive to having such an early flight. We landed on the shortest runway ever, walked into a building, picked up our luggage and looked for the driver to our hotel. The drive from the airport took about 30 min and the scene was an interesting one. A lot of island shack homes lined the road and scooters were everywhere. We stayed at the Panglao Regents Park. It came recommend by a friend but also had great reviews on the Internet. Check in wasn't until 2pm, but luckily they weren't full and we could check in at 7:30am. We slept until 11:00am, then decided to walk the five minutes to check out the beach and have lunch. The beach isn't too big but it is beautiful. It reminded me of Koh Phi Phi a little bit. Restaurants everywhere and people trying to sell us tours of every kind. We enjoyed a nice lunch went back to the hotel and laid by the pool.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXTxUVZLrNxKdTr-kgIkyamIcxO2NCD2zXcXM-uwd027kYwGbZ_GuZfJWrJP3-mrlrV-vi7P-bnxOtE8GLYjyyxuViyZ2Yu80nGcX01t2feGGlMSuEbpIpg2O2k7F6dFVzofAGM_Bno0Q/s1600/DSC03175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXTxUVZLrNxKdTr-kgIkyamIcxO2NCD2zXcXM-uwd027kYwGbZ_GuZfJWrJP3-mrlrV-vi7P-bnxOtE8GLYjyyxuViyZ2Yu80nGcX01t2feGGlMSuEbpIpg2O2k7F6dFVzofAGM_Bno0Q/s200/DSC03175.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
Choosing the pool over the beach the first day proved to be the best decision. We ended up chatting with a really nice couple from Denmark, Mette and Thomas, a married couple spending four weeks traveling all around the Philippines. They told us they had rented a motorbike for the next day so they could tour around and see all the sites in Bohol. This was something Andrew and I wanted to do as well, so when they invited us to join them we jumped at the opportunity! We walked down the street, met a man with a motorbike for rent, asked him to bring the bike to our hotel at 7:30am, and then shook his hand.<br />
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<u>January 21st</u><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nVi90-HpZuISNokt3yHC31S0wbWdb_5uS4z-C6Uz57sx-ajLRWPN4HlOjlkrtthUjgiZz7rbazXmHbeWAuitvE83Wp9FZQMw1vV_UW63eIaOnwHVH7TyvHFntuLpYwfTT46k75dahzj9/s1600/DSC03155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nVi90-HpZuISNokt3yHC31S0wbWdb_5uS4z-C6Uz57sx-ajLRWPN4HlOjlkrtthUjgiZz7rbazXmHbeWAuitvE83Wp9FZQMw1vV_UW63eIaOnwHVH7TyvHFntuLpYwfTT46k75dahzj9/s200/DSC03155.JPG" width="200" /></a>Andrew and I don't particularly like early mornings, especially on vacation, but we felt more comfortable taking this island tour with other people. And if they wanted to leave at 7:30, then early risers we would be! Right on time our motorbike man was at our hotel. Registration papers and two helmets in hand Andrew and I had our mode of transportation for the whole day for the wallet-emptying price of $12! Thomas and Mette's motorbike was 20 minutes late, but what are you going to do. We filled up our bike with gas, for $5, and we were ready for the open road.<br />
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The only map we had was a postcard with tourist sites to hit, so navigation was a bit tricky at first, especially because Bohol has no street signs or stop lights. With Thomas taking the lead, it allowed Andrew and I to relax a bit. We rode about an hour before stopping at a bakery in one of the small villages. For literally pennies, we got to taste all kinds of the most delicious breads and pastries, and give our butts a much needed rest. The drive was beautiful and we could not have asked for better weather. Everything was so green and lush, I felt like I was in a movie. ...Or a Kenny Chesney music video.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhRzzzJQV9Gfae4L1w90Mjy9-bhHu434RHKytJExjWWBv0yguF8bLK7VRxm__6dbuN_pl_I1bEWyaUMANen0pEOfUo4jrTObYEltCWt095C8wnMvFM2YKD6oVrrHRcNWbieWmaY2W0FGD/s1600/DSC_0375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhRzzzJQV9Gfae4L1w90Mjy9-bhHu434RHKytJExjWWBv0yguF8bLK7VRxm__6dbuN_pl_I1bEWyaUMANen0pEOfUo4jrTObYEltCWt095C8wnMvFM2YKD6oVrrHRcNWbieWmaY2W0FGD/s320/DSC_0375.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Hills</td></tr>
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We made it to our first destination, and the most famous in Bohol, the Chocolate Hills, in about two hours. While the view was breathtaking, it was just a bunch of really cool hills. We were there for about 45 min taking pictures and resting before we backtracked to our next destination, the Tarsier reserve in Loboc. Tarsiers are the smallest known primate in the world and have existed for more than 40 million years. They resemble Steven Speilbergs Gremlins They look like teeny tiny little monkeys with huge eyes and Bohol is only one of two places where they live. It was a welcomed break for the butt!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMQvKKEeto2GPe6_btoDMLn5evtacqQcxpCGRrVyhdNc4b3JSuikQM_N0j7WmaAJxW478pT1X1UVeYkelTONKOximUB42djRmcFW9tLujuK08opp9bvgl3kcRYNZrBaGwUu5QSnmD1dKo/s1600/DSC_0401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMQvKKEeto2GPe6_btoDMLn5evtacqQcxpCGRrVyhdNc4b3JSuikQM_N0j7WmaAJxW478pT1X1UVeYkelTONKOximUB42djRmcFW9tLujuK08opp9bvgl3kcRYNZrBaGwUu5QSnmD1dKo/s200/DSC_0401.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't he so cute!</td></tr>
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We got back on our scooters and headed to our last stop, the Busai Monark Floating Resteurant. For $20 we enjoyed a buffet, live music and river cruise. I'm glad we stopped but it's not something I would probably spend the money to do again. Before heading back to the hotel, racing daylight, we had some homemade ice cream.
The ride back to the hotel wasn't as enjoyable. Traffic had picked up a bit and we unfortunately we got stuck behind some buses and work trucks with the worst exhaust trails ever. We were both feeling a bit sick. We made it to the hotel at 4:58pm, two minutes to spare on our bike reservation time. We all capped off our wonderful day with happy hour drinks by the pool toasting to travel and good people before parting ways for dinner.
We felt so blessed to have met Thomas and Mette. Unfortunately they left the next day so we didn't have much time with them. They have literally traveled all around the world so we enjoyed picking their brains of all their travel tips.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh_IumOlecBmto78hIxdJwMRXHs0rfgxPPT2CTMlHKEzTtMXKZmPWF2vvk3d6-M-Ru-ruubrUU1abWsbAbm1zsRFpWr3jAmWo_GLKhyphenhyphenQNafE7WU_9yjk2ejML3zWaA88JUp0HQHZIKPu6/s1600/DSC03200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh_IumOlecBmto78hIxdJwMRXHs0rfgxPPT2CTMlHKEzTtMXKZmPWF2vvk3d6-M-Ru-ruubrUU1abWsbAbm1zsRFpWr3jAmWo_GLKhyphenhyphenQNafE7WU_9yjk2ejML3zWaA88JUp0HQHZIKPu6/s320/DSC03200.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking a little tired and sweaty with Thomas and Mette</td></tr>
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Besides the beautiful change in scenery, my favorite thing about traveling is all of the people we get to meet. People from all around the world. I love learning from them and seeing things from totally different perspectives. Seriously it was the perfect day, and we have only just begun!<br />
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<u>January 22nd</u><br />
"Today I don't feel like doing anything..." This Bruno Mars lyric comes to mind when I think about our Tuesday activity. We didn't do anything but lounge by the pool reading and playing cards. We ventured to the beach for lunch then returned to the pool. A great day of relaxation after yesterday's adventure.<br />
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<u>January 23rd</u><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAinqgu_c8b38OCCahSoXuhTSGqSlqGFx-dHAw-8U-b9BBvdLypczIYPNNVXKXhCExADVVgaAuKeN63C9RQcwpl7eRljvAdEz8NZMc3rb5C-gqkezDiWhkOCch3VTuFhrlzpIM-W42rc97/s1600/scooter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAinqgu_c8b38OCCahSoXuhTSGqSlqGFx-dHAw-8U-b9BBvdLypczIYPNNVXKXhCExADVVgaAuKeN63C9RQcwpl7eRljvAdEz8NZMc3rb5C-gqkezDiWhkOCch3VTuFhrlzpIM-W42rc97/s200/scooter.jpg" width="200" /></a>Andrew and I decided that we weren't quite done with the scooter touring yet. On Monday, we saw all the tourist sites but this time we wanted to ride and stop at will when we saw something that peaked our interest. So from 10:20am until 3:00pm, we drove around the island until our butts just couldn't handle it anymore. We obviously didn't stick out enough as tourists, so they had to give us a hot pink motor bike. "Bad to the Bone" is the only thing that comes to mind when I think about what we must have looked like. We stopped at a local market and walked around. We stopped at a few piers to enjoy the views. And of course we stopped at a bakery...or maybe two. You know how I adore my carbohydrates. The bread is to die for. It's so fresh and delicious....nothing like we can get in Korea, so we HAD to stop, multiple times. We ate lunch at a local restaurant and then walked around a beautiful old church. The weather was cloudy but it was a welcomed temperature. It's nice to not feel like the sun is beating down on you.<br />
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<u>January 24th</u><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixW5yLaetW-3SQk37exMgeCbUEn1D_yIKEK8jrR_BWcUJBKickbP4LgIbus0BCAKfJFN2hAl9ReLOhMssgqmGxDnJFUur8Ri9oj4cRnkbmF_ek-kqBgdlyqdkIYDFZv5d7uQ3XnRQXkQxr/s1600/DSC03298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixW5yLaetW-3SQk37exMgeCbUEn1D_yIKEK8jrR_BWcUJBKickbP4LgIbus0BCAKfJFN2hAl9ReLOhMssgqmGxDnJFUur8Ri9oj4cRnkbmF_ek-kqBgdlyqdkIYDFZv5d7uQ3XnRQXkQxr/s320/DSC03298.JPG" width="320" /></a>Today was another day of relaxation. We spent the whole day outside, and the better half of it at the beach. However, only one word comes to mind when I reflect back on Thursday, and that is ouch! Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a sunscreen fanatic. Yes, I like a good tan, but I've always got sunscreen on. In Korea, for whatever reason, sunscreen is super expensive, like $20 for a travel size bottle. So we decided to wait, and buy some when we arrived. We found some, but oddly enough we could not find "waterproof" sunscreen, only "very water resistant" whatever that means. So we bought it. It has worked great the whole time we were here until Thursday. I took a dip in the ocean, dried off and reapplied. Most of my time on the beach was spent on my stomach because it was reading, so it was mostly my back that was exposed...and exposed it was.
OUCH! "Very water resistant" my scorched red ass, back and legs Banana Boat. I can't remember a time when I have ever been this burnt. The only bright side to this is that it didn't happen on the first or last day. Had it happened the first, I would have been miserable the whole trip, and had it happened the last, it would have made traveling to Hong Kong much more uncomfortable. Needless to say, I had a very restless night sleep...I'm sure you have all been there.<br />
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<u>January 25th</u><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alona Beach</td></tr>
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Our last day on the island and we woke up to pouring rain. We've been really lucky with the weather so I can't complain about some rain in the tropics. It's what keeps this place lush and beautiful. it rained on and off the whole day making the walk to the beach a muddy sandy mess. We needed to go to a souvenir shop to purchase Philippine flag patches for our backpacks before leaving. We returned to the hotel, played some cards and then laid in a cabana by the pool while our feet got wet from the rain. At about 4:00pm we decided to venture back to the beach for a massage. We had been talking about getting massages since we arrived but never did and it was something we wanted to do before we left. Well, stupid me, got too burnt yesterday to actually enjoy a rub down, so I got a $5 pedicure while Andrew enjoyed a $7, one hour, fairly ivasive Swedish full body massage. We ate cheap, delicious barbecue for dinner and watched the Australian open. It was a great ending to our island getaway!<br />
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I just have to mention one thing. I read up a lot on the Philippines before coming here and there are so many horror stories out there that it made me quite nervous. But I felt super safe here and the Filipino people are some of the nicest and most genuine I have ever come across. Yes, we got asked about every 10 yards if we wanted a boat tour, or motorbike or massage or sunglasses etc, but a polite "no thank you" sends them on their way. Seriously, we felt so welcomed and were treated so well that if anyone has the opportunity to travel here, don't turn it down on the account of being scared. There is such a sense of community here and they are eager to welcome you to their paradise. Thank you Philippine citizens for your grace and hospitality!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8ydcZEM1Vj1SBj1aeANirO5x95zGCpHX0yg2r2kY3urBBjefSgJ4wV261HD-DHoRj_VtXPlvuAGvP9-OVbUuE2BnY9GxJrfuocqenK-LMT2ig0-Z4JOhMwdlK1HMp3CXCumGzC_bAci5/s1600/DSC03238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8ydcZEM1Vj1SBj1aeANirO5x95zGCpHX0yg2r2kY3urBBjefSgJ4wV261HD-DHoRj_VtXPlvuAGvP9-OVbUuE2BnY9GxJrfuocqenK-LMT2ig0-Z4JOhMwdlK1HMp3CXCumGzC_bAci5/s200/DSC03238.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Trasportation</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XsbtVO_HJ3jFaLX9Jv2tp5LwK3G7bJjLmZaK7qDy4GLWS9w8a90vlW8ZWbWd13roA6q5XBhmj7WJGy_t2ZjK6qXl1-JDZELrBCAYL51IGA0v4MeKyazWGgoETxXItfksHQSAzcoI9Q2R/s1600/DSC03239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XsbtVO_HJ3jFaLX9Jv2tp5LwK3G7bJjLmZaK7qDy4GLWS9w8a90vlW8ZWbWd13roA6q5XBhmj7WJGy_t2ZjK6qXl1-JDZELrBCAYL51IGA0v4MeKyazWGgoETxXItfksHQSAzcoI9Q2R/s320/DSC03239.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tag City</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kVnYu4OqdaRrrN9NjsfYUjf7GLJjfG6q98aUQoID6_aoS-MV2ffmL3DTrATqM2a-ferMlBDED3X0yXcRhSmUkmy3EWZrDlEh0MxbWYD4aHvdqD6pGe_n8AsKGRmjDiR4kSIzgDNfS9Yy/s1600/DSC03150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kVnYu4OqdaRrrN9NjsfYUjf7GLJjfG6q98aUQoID6_aoS-MV2ffmL3DTrATqM2a-ferMlBDED3X0yXcRhSmUkmy3EWZrDlEh0MxbWYD4aHvdqD6pGe_n8AsKGRmjDiR4kSIzgDNfS9Yy/s320/DSC03150.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Man Made Forrest</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyaWZDU9_T_MVpr3O_3zFXOim5_VAQlHGAuYquggpHKa-xLSBo34pduR4rKwp3StkSfDsPfO19Z1bC3CTyJ9OWrcI7uxuBqSO8rKdoYF-mPr43ByqGqJ6eBXiURQU3Fbama6I1NEIaghZb/s1600/DSC03262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyaWZDU9_T_MVpr3O_3zFXOim5_VAQlHGAuYquggpHKa-xLSBo34pduR4rKwp3StkSfDsPfO19Z1bC3CTyJ9OWrcI7uxuBqSO8rKdoYF-mPr43ByqGqJ6eBXiURQU3Fbama6I1NEIaghZb/s200/DSC03262.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Church</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblspdlP1QomToWtZ_jFA10MdKqw8SN-sWQbEnyuJFnNtpDxOxGSPmCgn5pBqndBXhOjXlwSd587SlvBlZ7M-COFIZl1e0rDKxcjJJWlm3wLcC0DfswGH8toDy7aU5nM55Ywa0BSrYhd-3/s1600/DSC03341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblspdlP1QomToWtZ_jFA10MdKqw8SN-sWQbEnyuJFnNtpDxOxGSPmCgn5pBqndBXhOjXlwSd587SlvBlZ7M-COFIZl1e0rDKxcjJJWlm3wLcC0DfswGH8toDy7aU5nM55Ywa0BSrYhd-3/s200/DSC03341.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-39512806902884913612013-02-04T03:41:00.001-08:002013-02-04T03:41:07.610-08:00Part II: Hong Kong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15Spj1BuJRMLxURAswuceLYagNMrtECu6Y_eNzxlHlCeqAclEqb-cenLV3xwVJZdoeGFAb0AM2-LqHnuEXByAR8DxnsEKyEeyCpMNhoQefO0tE453tZy_09GaD4IGZTFnfky0pdfSYTEI/s1600/DSC03410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15Spj1BuJRMLxURAswuceLYagNMrtECu6Y_eNzxlHlCeqAclEqb-cenLV3xwVJZdoeGFAb0AM2-LqHnuEXByAR8DxnsEKyEeyCpMNhoQefO0tE453tZy_09GaD4IGZTFnfky0pdfSYTEI/s320/DSC03410.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victoria Harbor from the Ferry</td></tr>
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<u>January 26th</u><br />
Our flight to Manila from Bohol was delayed and hour so we had a more relaxing morning. We arrived at the Tag airport at about 10:45am for our 12:15am flight. The two check in counters were so dang slow that we waited in line for about 45 min with maybe ten people in front of us, seriously a joke. We boarded on time and we were up in the air for a quick hour before landing in Manila. We took a cab to terminal three, ate lunch and only had to sit for 30 min before we boarded the plane destined for Hong Kong!<br />
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Hong Kong was one place that I was really sad we didn't get the chance to visit the first time we were in Asia so I was super pumped to be going.
We landed on time at 6:30pm, but it was dark and rainy so unfortunately we didn't get to see anything flying in. Hong Kong International was really nice and extremely easy to get around so we had no problem finding the bus we needed to wait for that would take us to Hong Kong Island, the area where our hotel is.<br />
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After waiting about 20 min, bus A11 pulled up. I handed the driver $100 HK dollars and politely said " for two," (it was $40 HKD each). He looked at me and said "Sorry, no change." So confused, how can the driver not have any change. Everyone knows that at airport currency exchanges they ONLY give you big bills, how could he not have change?! He pointed to a ticket window about 50 yards away so Andrew took of running to try to break the bill before the bus left. Honestly, I was fully prepared to stand in front of the bus to make him wait so we didn't have to stand there for 30 more minutes until the next one came. Andrew came running back a bit out of breath. After going to three different ticket windows, he was able to buy two bus tickets because no one would break the $100 HK bill...so annoying.<br />
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We rode the bus for about 40 min before taking a gamble on which stop to get off on. Well, we bet wrong and ended up walking up and down the street, looking at two different maps, trying to find Morrison Street. After a few backtracking turns and a little assistance we found our hotel! The Butterfly Boutique on Morrison. It's a small room, but large by Asian standards. It's really modern and in a great location. We grabbed a quick bite to eat before turning into our hotel to plan our first day adventures!<br />
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<u>January 27th</u><br />
I woke up like a little kid on Christmas; so giddy with excitement about what our first day in Hong Kong had in store for us. We prepared our oatmeal and discussed the days activities. Yes, we bring our own oatmeal when we travel. As long as the place we are staying has a hot water kettle, we are good to go for breakfast! It's filling, and free :) Hey, don't judge, we are on a budget.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbW9z6MakHbRpbxsHjT5zvl1Z18Zf4wa2ed4wrjg8MLyNcWjL9Ctnp1U0Eivt-TYVHisvcfxQYqIHtCjNNzNcSK8kVWc6aOMtP3zm2pCB-JiQ0U2A7m3_Txhl-A3p7S7ZWbCErUS_prSa/s1600/DSC_0447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbW9z6MakHbRpbxsHjT5zvl1Z18Zf4wa2ed4wrjg8MLyNcWjL9Ctnp1U0Eivt-TYVHisvcfxQYqIHtCjNNzNcSK8kVWc6aOMtP3zm2pCB-JiQ0U2A7m3_Txhl-A3p7S7ZWbCErUS_prSa/s200/DSC_0447.JPG" width="200" /></a>We decided to visit Lantau Island. It took about 45 minutes to get to via the MTR, Hong Kong's subway system. Getting around Hong Kong is super easy, very similar to that of Seoul; really traveler friendly. We left our hotel at 10am and headed to the closest MTR station, Causeway Bay. It also happens to be in the center of their "Times Square" which is filled with tons of high-end stores, Andrew and I had fun window shopping. Your inner glutenous pig can really get the better of you in a place like that!<br />
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We arrived on the island, saw a Subway sandwich restaurant, and decided it was lunch time! It had been five months since I had eaten a turkey sandwich...and those of you that know me well know that I LOVE turkey sandwiches! After lunch we walked around their "outlet" mall a bit. I quote outlet, because their definition and mine are different. I hear outlet and think big discount prices on last seasons designs. And I was super excited to see a Kate Spade outlet! I have a weakness for all things Kate Spade. When I went in and looked at their prices I was shocked. Their discounted prices are more than full priced items in the US. I wanted to tell everyone, "You're getting ripped off" but I held my tongue, shrugged my shoulders and walked out disappointed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1VrnNA3qWeXuDyzFKcCb_RdVcDt-Bm2OiUdGEJtnRv2BwaGSGZyMCjKCHa-jHCnAC8X7xQpDG6S4SbsQZYNmval3CXhj928rYk3314qzIMVxbGmK9YaGkUAK4D0Ylk54Kkpeo-gTSaGS/s1600/DSC03398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1VrnNA3qWeXuDyzFKcCb_RdVcDt-Bm2OiUdGEJtnRv2BwaGSGZyMCjKCHa-jHCnAC8X7xQpDG6S4SbsQZYNmval3CXhj928rYk3314qzIMVxbGmK9YaGkUAK4D0Ylk54Kkpeo-gTSaGS/s320/DSC03398.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self-timer picture after we climbed the stairs to Buddha</td></tr>
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We headed over to the reason we came to the island in the first place, the famous Big Buddha. It's the worlds tallest, outdoor seated bronze Buddha and sits a top a hill with some truly spectacular views. We stood in line for about 40 min to take a cable car 5.7 km to the top. When we arrived it wasn't what I had expected, there was a whole little tourist village up there complete with restaurants, a hotel and a dozen souvenir shops. We walked around a bit, taking tons of pictures and then embarking on the 278 step journey to see Buddha. The steps sucked, but at least they were even and nothing like the tortuous "Great Wall of China" stairs. The view from up there was worth it, so pretty!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELA9p8NCAssNcTBBiyJGN5E23EGszUgjl5lIAApt9Jwv7flgLEmQuFVFDQYyGRGwr758YOsaN9JuCizXTyarixFiz4OZshAtN1hKsBSDhrRz_SWDMSmiGoQVXVu_f6ubksf768lN0hla9/s1600/DSC_0519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELA9p8NCAssNcTBBiyJGN5E23EGszUgjl5lIAApt9Jwv7flgLEmQuFVFDQYyGRGwr758YOsaN9JuCizXTyarixFiz4OZshAtN1hKsBSDhrRz_SWDMSmiGoQVXVu_f6ubksf768lN0hla9/s200/DSC_0519.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blooming Chinese Tea</td></tr>
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At 4pm there was a free tea demonstration at an adorable tea shop, Li Nong Tea. She showed us this new kind of tea, blooming tea, where the tea wraps around a real flower, and after adding hot water, it literally blooms in the cup! It was delicious and one of the coolest things so of course I had to buy some as a souvenir We left about 5pm and waited 30 in a line to take the cable car back down. Lantau Island was a really neat place and I'm so glad we made it our first Hong Kong adventure!<br />
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We dropped our stuff back off at the hotel and then walked around for an hour, lost and trying to find a place to eat. Overall, it was a really great day!<br />
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<u>January 28th</u><br />
We woke up bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and with sore legs from a full day of being on our feet yesterday. Again, we started our morning with some oatmeal before taking off for our first destination, the World Trade Center. Luckily it was very close to our hotel so we had a short walk. And we were grateful for the short walk because the site was a bust. Just a tall building with a few unopened shops. I'm not sure what I expected but that was not it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtx9ZxcxdfsMbG5ipLXRK7AI7G6SEnmBQI_Ci52QRSpBe61S0FVBTWcezZUNSphUj7SxcdW8k14224lxW_oSU-9jwi6e8wgMC52m4zy6BXzD4USVVVQ0Qtjpn2euUxzF4PrMt1pNmcuCCo/s1600/DSC_0542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtx9ZxcxdfsMbG5ipLXRK7AI7G6SEnmBQI_Ci52QRSpBe61S0FVBTWcezZUNSphUj7SxcdW8k14224lxW_oSU-9jwi6e8wgMC52m4zy6BXzD4USVVVQ0Qtjpn2euUxzF4PrMt1pNmcuCCo/s200/DSC_0542.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 32 cent Star Ferry</td></tr>
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Our next must-see was the Star Ferry. An old ferry boat with its principal routes carrying passengers across Victoria Harbour, between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Of course we have the MTR but this is so much more fun! So for .32 cents each we took the short six min ride. It was much shorter than expected, but it gave us a totally different view of the city which I very much enjoyed!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBFmrrh-KBWNhRhtjBJAFbFQ00PBbMjijRWjEiGaY_hkVeFbaprPCg1TQwjlHwiiQxiN_0LPKSoNBNsUYEHzlOmnP9XzWF98zQiG7FhsU4UDqmqPybKC8gc9oRXalR-qiwmwy_yJmIeR3/s1600/DSC03436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBFmrrh-KBWNhRhtjBJAFbFQ00PBbMjijRWjEiGaY_hkVeFbaprPCg1TQwjlHwiiQxiN_0LPKSoNBNsUYEHzlOmnP9XzWF98zQiG7FhsU4UDqmqPybKC8gc9oRXalR-qiwmwy_yJmIeR3/s200/DSC03436.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedding Dress Replica</td></tr>
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After disembarking we decided to head to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. For two hours we took a journey from 400,000,000 million years ago, the Natural Environment land formation to the Modern Metropolis. The six other in-between exhibits were: Prehistoric Hong Kong, The Dynasties, Folk Culture,The Opium War and the Cession of Hong Kong, Birth and Early Growth of the City, and The Japanese Occupation. It was a great, interactive way to learn about the evolution of this amazing city. A must see for all visitors in my opinion.<br />
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Following our two hour history lesson, it was time we made our way to "The Peak," a sky high, 360 degree view if the whole city. I read that the best time to go is about 5pm so that you can see the skyline both during the day and at night. We arrived at the tram that would take us there at about 4:15pm and waited in an hour long line before taking the steep incline tram to the top. It was seriously steeper than a roller coaster. There are only two trams running at a time, a ridiculous ratio to the amount if tourists. Once at the top we rode four more flights of escalators before reaching the observation deck.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UEPxOygZOwVnXbeXevKKRPDV_9IYrGHu-T3pei_Bddp7tTeqfgHduoPcYJ3n27yFmnjTiRaNyIssxvQKhET0zjw23qSvoEoex7RxfhsmBcUYi9np3fB-mWwRmMJ1tSduw9JQRTzLWhat/s1600/DSC_0575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UEPxOygZOwVnXbeXevKKRPDV_9IYrGHu-T3pei_Bddp7tTeqfgHduoPcYJ3n27yFmnjTiRaNyIssxvQKhET0zjw23qSvoEoex7RxfhsmBcUYi9np3fB-mWwRmMJ1tSduw9JQRTzLWhat/s320/DSC_0575.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />However, among the excitement of the amazing views it never occurred to us that we could only enter one time. Once you're on deck, you can stay until midnight if you want or you can leave and not return. Our plan was to take some fun day pictures, eat at one of the restaurants with a view and then return to take night pictures. Well it wasn't until we were already on the deck that we learned you couldn't return. Ugh, we had an hour to wait until it got dark. Normally it wouldn't have been so bad except we were really high and it was cold and windy as heck with no place to take refuge. We came to The Peak for the night photo and dangit, we were going to get it! So we waited, as long as we could, took a few photos and went for our "Six month wedding anniversary" dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp because it had the BEST view and REAL cheeseburgers! We waited 45 min for the return tram, found the MTR and returned to the hotel absolutely exhausted!!
AMAZING day!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOMz5Sk9Pzbn_LD_D4Nzne5fok_GDfvgICaf87BC_DAtHXZH6iL0zpx4oWTYbiIZJDP7pGnLb6W11jFkcMfQOUd50JUJ2JDhWcJUc1VSLTj_aZH7sBip1yv03TKv5RIqV2qQm5SdNsiI1/s1600/DSC_0600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOMz5Sk9Pzbn_LD_D4Nzne5fok_GDfvgICaf87BC_DAtHXZH6iL0zpx4oWTYbiIZJDP7pGnLb6W11jFkcMfQOUd50JUJ2JDhWcJUc1VSLTj_aZH7sBip1yv03TKv5RIqV2qQm5SdNsiI1/s320/DSC_0600.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stunning View of Hong Kong</td></tr>
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<u>January 29th</u><br />
We got an earlier start this Tuesday morning because we thought it was going to be a long day. We ventured over to the ferry terminal to take the quick hour jot over to Macau. It is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong. Macau's economy is mostly dependent on tourism and gambling which is obvious when you get off the ferry. A former Portuguese colony, Macau was administered by Portugal from the mid-16th century until 1999. Sovereignty over Macau was transferred back to China on Dec 20th 1999. Due to the fact that it is separate from Hong Kong, we had to bring our passports and go through immigration leaving Hong Kong and arriving in Macau then vice versa when we returned.
I have to start out by saying that I didn't quite know what to expect when we we arrived. Usually I read up extensively about the places we visit, however with Macau, I didn't read all that much except that its architecture is a strange mix between Portugese and Chinese. Oh, and that you have to try the famous Portugese Egg Tart!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBd2C9hOxQ_1vOSaQPIGVq9EDWzWFhI-WeXeEO25KrxvFj02nQGF8aClz0tOO9bK4CNk-1tM9U74EPsvMLnyPJ1cxR6Uae4ajrk7lKJQZCuxUMkgWDafpZnjpmRt6byjHP88WlwrG7SbJJ/s1600/DSC03463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBd2C9hOxQ_1vOSaQPIGVq9EDWzWFhI-WeXeEO25KrxvFj02nQGF8aClz0tOO9bK4CNk-1tM9U74EPsvMLnyPJ1cxR6Uae4ajrk7lKJQZCuxUMkgWDafpZnjpmRt6byjHP88WlwrG7SbJJ/s200/DSC03463.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laughing at how worthless our map was</td></tr>
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Well, after waiting in a forever customs line, we walked out to a bunch of buses We grabbed a map and decided to head to city center as a starting point. Well, being that most of their economy is tourism you would think things would be labeled better. It was such a cluster! We stood is the buses line for way to long trying to decide which bus to take. There were about 20 buses and their descriptions were terrible and no one spoke ANY English. We picked a bus to what we thought would be the city center. We boarded and the bus driver kept waving us off. I had no idea why, but he kept shooing us out. Finally I figured out that he was trying to tell us that his bus didn't go to the museum that was on the front of one of the pamphlets I was holding. I tried to tell him we didn't want to go there. He didn't understand, so I crumpled it up and put it in my back pocket, paid and we got on. This should have been a sign...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eEoPfH4KbIWcNXkx7sIfACwuuNGeLkr-SytaMLjkInuWPJXZ9B2vF4_gtlxg4r2Qnjc8Y7ynZAOGUlkTzYIxvxxT_bPI8pZSox4afGjQmsu9IIjDnzY42Ro1DkkUq2TwZDd0Ij80B8Vf/s1600/DSC03474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eEoPfH4KbIWcNXkx7sIfACwuuNGeLkr-SytaMLjkInuWPJXZ9B2vF4_gtlxg4r2Qnjc8Y7ynZAOGUlkTzYIxvxxT_bPI8pZSox4afGjQmsu9IIjDnzY42Ro1DkkUq2TwZDd0Ij80B8Vf/s200/DSC03474.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Vegas</td></tr>
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Well, as the bus was stopping, none of the stops that we read it was supposed to stop at were appearing. The city center was supposed to be the second stop...and it wasn't. Oh, great, here we go. So we rode a little while longer before getting off randomly and trying again. We looked like two fish out of water. We were definitely not in a tourist district. The map we had was so unbelievably terrible that and we couldn't find a reference point ANYWHERE. We decided to go sit in a McDonald's to see if we could get some wifi. To add to our bad luck, they had none. Andrew asked two middle school aged boys to point on the map where we were, they just laughed and turned away. Perfect.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkAVSm43vDDQuVtsxa0McP3ViA2NixtCj9D8jx7CobSZipkBZ7cw7ilQ3Z6EhxPja0UgPr7g4PUFEycEJ1dVxME9MGBPODbPnfRXVXGY9_T-XiCBgQd8o0SplVTJlABuNQnd9HFd3d5wg/s1600/DSC03498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkAVSm43vDDQuVtsxa0McP3ViA2NixtCj9D8jx7CobSZipkBZ7cw7ilQ3Z6EhxPja0UgPr7g4PUFEycEJ1dVxME9MGBPODbPnfRXVXGY9_T-XiCBgQd8o0SplVTJlABuNQnd9HFd3d5wg/s200/DSC03498.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egg Tart!</td></tr>
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We left and got on a different bus. This time, we could tell we were headed to the more touristy area. It had now been two hours since we had gotten off the ferry and walking around aimlessly. We got off, walked a little ways and found ourselves in the gambling district. Score! Tourists!
We made our way to the city center and just walked around really having no idea what we were looking at because nothing was labeled and our map sucked. Honestly there wasn't a whole lot to see. It was beautifully decorated for the upcoming Lunar New Year festivities and there were so many people it was insane. I did buy an egg tart<b> </b>and it was as delicious as the hype! We had a late lunch (2:30pm), since we were lost for so long, walked around some more and then decided to head back.<br />
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Again, no idea which bus to get on, we wandered around some more.
So, ten hours after we left our hotel, we made it safely back to Hong Kong and I could not have been more excited! Sadly for us, Macau was a bust but that was partly our fault for not really having a plan. Sometimes the best travel memories happen when days are unplanned, but in this case, it just caused a lot of frustration and achy feet.
We are always learning.<br />
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<u>January 30th</u><br />
Relaxation. We actually let ourselves sleep in. We had been going non-stop and it was catching up with us. Mentally we were tired and physically our bodies felt like we had done a three day workout. We decided to take an easy day without much of a plan. So at about 11:00am, we ventured out to Times Square for a little shopping! After a few hours of window shopping we decided to go back to the hotel for an hour or so to rest our feet.
I had read online that one of the top things to do in Hong Kong is to have a drink at one of the bars atop the IFC mall. So Andrew and I decided to venture over there and check it out. We paid way too much for two glasses of wine; so we toasted to an amazing and blessed adventure in Hong Kong at the Red Bar overlooking the lights of Victoria Harbor. It felt a little like a dream.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2RTA4eKH_hww5OXn7HbX83Kg8UM80F95W41vZFu59_FNfYzFxc4Wyru4XzaisFbO-nlANVW7dFhVQNpuiUFWTvjsdzUZtF7Fv3gaF47QvzlChHDKxq_dtlM3iTVtUfdImDJUsbGdEUBC1/s1600/DSC03524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2RTA4eKH_hww5OXn7HbX83Kg8UM80F95W41vZFu59_FNfYzFxc4Wyru4XzaisFbO-nlANVW7dFhVQNpuiUFWTvjsdzUZtF7Fv3gaF47QvzlChHDKxq_dtlM3iTVtUfdImDJUsbGdEUBC1/s320/DSC03524.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying our wine and the view</td></tr>
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After leaving IFC, we went to hit up another top attraction, Temple Street Night Market. It was exactly like it sounds. A really long street filled with vendor after vendor selling virtually all the same knockoff goods like handbags, phone cases, t-shirts, Hong Kong souvenirs etc. We decided one some street food for dinner before trying our hand a little haggling fun. Temple Street isn't quite as overwhelming as the Silk Market in Beijing, so we felt much more prepared and had more restraint. After a few hours of walking around and bargaining, we left with two canvas paintings for my collection, a phone case, and some really really good knockoff Beats headphones for Andrew. It was a fun and more relaxing day.<br />
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<u>January 31st</u><br />
<br />Our last day in Hong Kong :( We knew we had a long day ahead of us. We checked out of the hotel as late as we could, at 1pm because our flight didn't actually leave until 2:10am on the first. We decided in another light day because we didn't want to just exhaust ourselves going into a sleepless night. The last attraction must-see we ventured to was the Ladies Market. Similar to Temple Street, I'm not actually sure why they call it a Ladies Market. We killed some time walking up and down the aisles and just people watching.
When we felt like our legs could give out, we searched EVERYWHERE for a place to sit down. One major thing about this country that I can't stand, is that there are no benches anywhere. We decided to go to McDonald's to get a drink and rest our feet, but guess what, NO SEATS! We have yet to go into a McDonald's or ANY restaurant for that matter, where it's not completely packed no matter what time. I've never seen anything like it...so many people just everywhere. And ladies, if you ever plan to visit Hong Kong, do not wait until the last minute to use the restroom. Very few public restrooms and if there is one, the lines are seriously insane...again, so many people!<br />
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We decided to venture back towards Causeway Bay, the area where our hotel to grab some dinner before we headed to the airport. We passed a "famous" dim sum placed earlier in the day so we thought we'd give it a shot. Not really knowing what anything was on the menu we chose what we thought were safe bets. Hahaha...could not have been more wrong. We weren't sure what we were eating, the beef was more of a gelatin and one of the nastiest things I have ever eaten. We both tried so hard to eat it but just couldn't. For whatever reason, while we both had our mouths full, we busted out in one of those laugh fits where you cry and can't stop. And the more inappropriate the time and place the more you can't stop laughing. After paying the $9 and feeling a little uneasy about what we just ate, we stopped at a bakery for a piece of bread to get rid of the horrible taste.<br />
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We went to the hotel, collected our stored baggage and headed for the airport. Leaving at 2:10am and arriving back in Korea at 6:40am was not optimal. Exhausted, we walked into our freezing apartment with a plan to shower and sleep at about 9:00am. We were happy to have made it home safe and sound, and then realized our heat was not turning on. Either was our gas or our Internet! I was not about to take a freezing cold shower and we could not figure out the problem with our heater. We decided to knock on a few neighbors doors for help since it's all in Korean. One woman yelled something at us through her door but never opened it. A few minutes later we heard someone in the hallway so we asked her to come help. She pressed a few buttons and then just ran out...it never came on.<br />
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As a last resort we called Belle. I knew calling her would be difficult because she is not able to see anything. I read her the notice that was on our door and entirely in Korean. Somehow through my horrendous Korean pronunciation she was able to decipher that they cut off our gas because we hadn't paid our bill for four months! Whoops....
To our defense, our electric and gas were on the same bill in Ulsan so we thought we were paying it here. We had seen some of the bills come to our apartment, but it didn't have our names on it and it said SK Telecom. I thought that was the Internet bill which our landlord actually pays, so we sorta just ignored the bill. Big oops. Belle told me what I read said it was a federal offense and we could go to jail.
But no worries. She called to explain our ignorance I'm sure, got the amount we owed, about $165, and the transfer number so we could pay right away.<br />
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Well, since our Internet was also conveniently out, instead of an online transfer we had to go and find an ATM. We ended up having to walk to two different ones but we got it accomplished. It took a few hours for the heat to actually come on and the Internet guy came at about 1pm to check out the problem. We had been up for about 28 hours at this point and running on fumes. It was not quite the welcome back situation we envisioned.<br />
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Andrew and I initially came back to Korea because there were so many places we still wanted to travel to. These past two weeks in the Philippines, Macau, and Hong Kong have been nothing short of amazing. We thank God everyday for this path that he has carved for us and the lives we have been so graciously given.
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Ephesians 5:15-17: Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPO_oF-ldvq8qKTbHoBQzywNGxncOsTOSHOrtj2qMOoyIZiVoUoGheAmx1QQEzqkvM0yJxnt-nmakI6Xp7M7jpaM5h3ic8sQ4jhBVD0Lj6YbjT6QYN1LyQy9iNPjGxJNj1GmooXuMjDb6S/s1600/DSC03378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPO_oF-ldvq8qKTbHoBQzywNGxncOsTOSHOrtj2qMOoyIZiVoUoGheAmx1QQEzqkvM0yJxnt-nmakI6Xp7M7jpaM5h3ic8sQ4jhBVD0Lj6YbjT6QYN1LyQy9iNPjGxJNj1GmooXuMjDb6S/s320/DSC03378.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Times Square</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoAcoSw5L-3Ur8yPY0Jh0Ydtt18GdUIuahEOx2KPtDCWLcX1Nw7pBw6jqMoGIC5o6d0dyYq891KeufM_8gyrJC3SwD1o7ukxHpK5o38brZ4OAOxjTb7dXIMvXSUsmCVBWGo1x_7_060FF/s1600/DSC_0454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoAcoSw5L-3Ur8yPY0Jh0Ydtt18GdUIuahEOx2KPtDCWLcX1Nw7pBw6jqMoGIC5o6d0dyYq891KeufM_8gyrJC3SwD1o7ukxHpK5o38brZ4OAOxjTb7dXIMvXSUsmCVBWGo1x_7_060FF/s200/DSC_0454.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lantau Island</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Somewhere in Macau</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7xaAX7YX9Qt5-HUYtRliOVXkM_FqaZZfIk7szqwbhC9_dd4yiUx-wvAMT_AAXNssEPK79zBuC0HhbAsByMZ6XVvhQoZ6Oh3rnl0KZ0uHESezyzEdpyyUT0jy1aU6Zo8tHraazqZ7h41e/s1600/DSC_0489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7xaAX7YX9Qt5-HUYtRliOVXkM_FqaZZfIk7szqwbhC9_dd4yiUx-wvAMT_AAXNssEPK79zBuC0HhbAsByMZ6XVvhQoZ6Oh3rnl0KZ0uHESezyzEdpyyUT0jy1aU6Zo8tHraazqZ7h41e/s320/DSC_0489.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being a tourist<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-25479419833954574412013-01-07T22:16:00.000-08:002013-01-08T16:46:28.144-08:00It's All in a Name<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv6JgtDQwibtCsl9mgOhhmwq_aJmXB14VLrXg2tey-XPUVPYpXwgN9h9THe4hBiqmzqQ9BuZcddv38ZwNAvF7O0V1Fq0jbMzn_fMOTlJ-QP6Wt27EPqJVzm17h96XFVuEz14ZseEW6vt_/s1600/cheers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv6JgtDQwibtCsl9mgOhhmwq_aJmXB14VLrXg2tey-XPUVPYpXwgN9h9THe4hBiqmzqQ9BuZcddv38ZwNAvF7O0V1Fq0jbMzn_fMOTlJ-QP6Wt27EPqJVzm17h96XFVuEz14ZseEW6vt_/s320/cheers.png" width="229" /></a></div>
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We hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season!</div>
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OK, I'm just going to start off by saying we didn't make it. We (I), could not go a month without pizza. I caved; on more than one occasion. It's so shameful. At home, I can go weeks without pizza. But here, I just crave it all the time. However, before you roll your eyes I have a theory: At home, SO MANY of our meals have cheese as an ingredient. Be it pizza, cheeseburgers, lasagna, sandwiches, tacos (oh, what we wouldn't give for Mexican food) etc. Here in Korea, cheese does not exist in their diet, except for on pizza. It's difficult to find in stores, and IF you can find it, it's outrageously expensive. So I believe that my pizza addiction is more of a "cheese craving." ...See, totally justified.<br />
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We are still going strong on the Bible reading and weekly volunteering! 2/3 ain't bad!<br />
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Again, it's been too long since my last blog but nothing is really going on. I'm in the middle of my four weeks of "extra English classes" during winter vacation. It's going alright. I have a class of third graders, a class of fourth graders and a teachers class. The third graders are out-of-control. Without a co-teacher, they have no idea what I'm saying. It's basically a never-ending game of charades.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4usPQtAri2kZFItmcDaq14qiABE2WJIhnB9avW38FsbfFquFzpcaGRrhRvHGl44FkoDSqkQOJaQLev37PE2cZXEccUW16IKM0GWOF-aJmB2W0h1X9Xdgww8Zj2M90wtJI-FfnKyzkGcI/s1600/KTX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4usPQtAri2kZFItmcDaq14qiABE2WJIhnB9avW38FsbfFquFzpcaGRrhRvHGl44FkoDSqkQOJaQLev37PE2cZXEccUW16IKM0GWOF-aJmB2W0h1X9Xdgww8Zj2M90wtJI-FfnKyzkGcI/s200/KTX.jpg" width="200" /></a>I let them choose English names if they wanted to. I prepared a girls list and a boys list. Still, some chose to deviate from the suggestions. I have a girl named 'Coney,' yes, like the cheesy hot dog. I asked if she meant 'Courtney,' but she stood firm to Coney. I have a boy named 'Peter Pan.' No explanation needed. And another boy named, 'KTX.' You see, the <a href="http://info.korail.com/2007/eng/eng_index.jsp" target="_blank">KTX </a>is a really fast Korean passenger train. I let it go because well, it is English, I guess. Another thing about this boy, KTX, he has severe ADHD. My co-teacher told me that his homeroom teacher gave up on him because she couldn't control him. "Oh great," I thought. "Send him to the foreign teacher." He literally, just in the middle of class, will get up out of his seat, and run around the classroom. When we are playing a game, his excitement is uncontrollable. To his credit, he is a polite kid, and has a decent grasp on English, but the kid needs to r-e-l-a-x. In all seriousness, I know God builds our character through the circumstances He puts us in. Patience is definitely a virtue that I need to work on, He and I both know that. KTX is just a reminder to lengthen my fuse and take deep breaths.<br />
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Fourth grade is much better. They understand most of what is going on and they all picked normal English names.<br />
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We are really looking forward to our winter vacation! We leave on January 19th for the Philippines and then from there we will visit Hong Kong. Some exciting updates to come!!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-24249329582046737952012-12-08T04:17:00.000-08:002012-12-08T04:17:10.598-08:00"I Am Speaking Korean!"Wow, two posts in one week?! I must be on a roll...<br />
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I thought I'd share a funny story from Friday night. If you read my last blog, you know that Andrew and I said no pizza for a month. However, before we even shook on this agreement we had one clause: We could only have pizza if called and ordered it in Korean (another bucket list item: order delivery).<br />
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Sadly, it had only been a week into our agreement and we were considering pizza. Before you judge, you have to know that Pohang had a bit of snow on Friday and the roads were covered in an icy mix. Koreans drive crazy when the weather is nice, we were not about to venture out in a taxi or city bus to get something to eat. This is where the clause comes in.<br />
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Before leaving school, I had asked one of my co-teachers, Belle, if she could quickly walk me through ordering a pizza. She said I can do it online with Pizza Hut. I thought to myself, this doesn't count, I'm not doing it in Korean. Then she showed me the ordering page and I quickly changed my mind. It was TOTALLY in Korean. Page after page, step after step, I decided right then that we were still within the clause. Belle was walking me through the steps and I was taking mental picture after mental picture to try to remember. Now I can read Korean just fine, but that doesn't mean that I understand it all. When we got to the end Belle said that she could just schedule the delivery for me, to have it delivered to our apartment at 7pm. I thanked her, informed her about our "clause" and said that we had to do it on our own....BIG mistake...<br />
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When Andrew and I got home from school, I wanted to show him the convenience of ordering online. We took a vote, and again, decided that we were without our agreement to order the pizza. This was no longer a craving issue...it was about safety, right?<br />
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We got on his Mac but sadly discovered that we had to use Internet Explorer to use Pizza Hut's online site. What, how strange we thought....Plan B. I was going to have to call.<br />
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We looked up the number and I practiced saying our address like 20 times in Korean. The thing is, I was told by my other co-teacher that delivery people would have a hard time with our apartment because it was a new building and it's tucked away. So I knew if this was going to work, I needed to have my pronunciation down pat.<br />
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Nervously I dialed the number. I had thought about my opening statement, "Anyounghaceyo, waygook salam baedal juesayo, Pohang Shi" which means "Hello, I'm a foreigner, delivery please, Pohang city." (Not like they wouldn't haven known by my horrible Korean). Then I was just going to lead with my address and then my order because I would not know which one she would ask for first.<br />
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"Ring, Ring, Ring," she answers. I go with my rehearsed line and then start with my address. She starts talking a hundred miles an hour and I have no idea what she is saying. I got nervous and tried my address again. She repeats two thirds of it back to me, incorrectly. Discouraged, I tried again. She says something and then hangs up.<br />
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I'm defeated at this point. I thought for sure I was saying our address right. Two minutes later my cell phone rings. I answer it and it's Pizza Hut! And the woman is speaking a little English!! WIN! I say my line, and then my address again, slower this time, really concentrating on my pronunciation. She asked me several times the name of our apartment building, I tell her over and over again and she's still confused. My guess is that she typed it into the system and nothing showed up because A) our building is too new, or B) My pronunciation is so bad she can't decipher what the heck I'm saying. You see, the name of our building is "Castle Ahoe." Even though castle is an English word, Koreans pronounce it differently, so I had to fake a Korean accent saying an English word if that makes sense.<br />
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We get through the address and the order and I even pay. She tells me it's going to be 50 minutes. I hang up and then celebrate a little feeling so proud!<br />
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An hour rolls around and my cell phone rings. It's the delivery man. He's lost. I can understand what he's asking me, but I didn't know how to respon in Korean, so frustrating and totally my incompetence. I repeat the street name because I know he is somewhere close. We end the conversation by him saying, "Ok, ok, ok." Andrew and I decide to go out and wait for him. Another 10 minutes passes and still no delivery man. I'm feeling so bad for the poor kid at this point. In Korea, delivery men deliver food via scooter. It's like 25 degrees outside and this sweet guy is lost and knows he can't call us back to give him better directions. I see a Korean man walking down our street. I stopped him, pointed to my phone and said, "Pizza Hut, hangumal." (Pizza Hut, Speak Korean)...embarassing Korean, I know. He's waves no and walks away. Two minutes later he comes back. Calls someone and hands the phone to Andrew. The guy on the other end begins speaking great English and then Andrew proceeds to tell him that we need to call this delivery man back, and have someone give him directions in Korean. Andrew gave the guy the number and then the nice man walked away.<br />
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We waited 10 more minutes out in the freezing cold. We think we hear a scooter and Andrew takes off running around the corner and was able to flag down the delivery guy. I apologized about a million times and we stuffed a tip into his scooter glove. (Tipping in Korea is not common, ever, but this whole situation was entirely our fault, and this guy deserved every cent of that tip.)<br />
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All in all, that pizza was WELL within the clause and I had never worked so hard for a pizza in all of my life. We didn't mind in the slightest that it was cold... YUM!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-60259737337311162732012-12-04T20:33:00.001-08:002012-12-04T20:33:54.383-08:00Random Happenings<br />
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<span lang="EN-US">It’s been a good month since my last blog.
Nothing blog worthy has really happened in the past few weeks but I felt like I
was abandoning all of my eight readers.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">We are good and settled now, stuck in the
inevitable routine. You think when you completely change your surroundings you
escape monotony. So not true. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">It’s getting really cold. Korea has winters
about like the Midwest just minus all the snow with only a few flakes here and
there. However, it is making our 45 min walk home a lot less enjoyable. We have
caught ourselves paying the extra cash for a taxi or just taking the crowded
city bus with all the other frozen commuters.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I am pleasantly surprised that my school
has heat in the classrooms, it’s a HUGE bonus! My old school did not and I wore
my coat, scarf and gloves all day while teaching. It’s so much more enjoyable
to work when you aren’t suffering from frost bite.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>Random Happenings:</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I found out today that one of my
co-teachers, Alice, and I are “runners-up” in a co-teaching video clip contest
that we decided to do on a whim. I quote “runners-up” because that is what EPIK
is calling it. However, it’s more like a consolation prize for participating
because we were on of sixty…haha…runners-up. We were also the only ones from
our province, so that has to count for something. Most participants were from
Seoul and Busan.; the bigger cities with a lot more access to materials. I’m
not making excuses though. Honestly, I wasn’t really proud of what we
submitted. We had to video tape a 40 min class, then slice it down to a ten
minute clip and submit an essay and our lesson plan. I was in charge of slicing
the video clip. It was only the second video I have edited using a free program
on Andrew’s Mac. I would like to participate again next semester and put more
than two days of thought into what we were doing. If you want to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S4se5wIiDc&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">watch it you can</a>, I apologize for the cheesiness in advance. And I'm embarrassed to say that my cheesiness was actually scaled down...</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">A few weeks ago Andrew got roped into participating
in a” teachers dance” for his schools fall festival. Let me tell you, he was
super pumped (sarcasm). He would kill me if I posted the video of him dancing,
so here is the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNXMTlEgDrw" target="_blank">link to the exact dance that they copied from YouTube</a>. I
personally like the wiggle and heart improvisation. Gives the classic YMCA
dance some new life. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Andrew and I also started volunteering. It’s
been pretty difficult to find a place because of the skepticism they have about
foreigners, and it’s understood. But we visit The Deaf and Mute Cultural Center
once a week. The woman who runs the place, Mrs. Kim, is so adorable and
grateful to have any help. She holds classes for adults and children who are
deaf or mute. Andrew and I entertain the children of deaf or mute parents in
the back room while they take classes. None of the kids thus far, have issues
of their own. The few people that work there, the cook and front desk woman are
deaf however. We just hang out, and make up games as we go. Andrew brought
Jenga this week and that was a clutch move. I sat and made bracelets with the
girls. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Andrew and I also have this "Korean Lifestyle Bucket List" of things we want to do to better ourselves while we have the extra free time here. There are many random things on this list, and we are only in the middle of a few. I am proud to say that as of today, we are 65 days into our Bible reading plan. We wanted to read the bible together, cover to cover. I have an iPad app that tells us which verses to read to finish the bible in 180 days. We have't missed a day since we began! December is also our "no fast food month." This would be WAY easier if we didn't live abroad. This means no McDonald's, not even an ice cream cone, no pizza (my weakness), no quick convenient store junk food to hold us over on city bus trips...nothing! I also just figured out how to make brownies in our toaster over, but Andrew said that counts too...ugh. It's going to be a long month. I should have argued for February.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">We found out that our ten allotted winter
vacation days are set for January 21<sup>st</sup>-February 2<sup>nd</sup>. My
school ends Dec 21<sup>st</sup>. However, I have to come in and teach, alone,
to get my contracted 22 teaching hours in. Andrew and I only get Christmas day
off. We will both be working Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day…boo.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">It seems completely pointless and it is.
Most likely, I will be teaching about 6 students for four hours a day, then
sitting at my desk until my contract time is over, 4:40pm, alone. This will go
on for the four weeks until my vacation. Then, we come back to school for two
weeks and the students have another week off for their “spring break” before
the start of the new school year which begins in March. I however, will not be
getting the week off. I will be coming to school, with one other contract
teacher, and sitting for eight hours a day. Unless I can convince them to give
me the week off as unpaid vacation since Andrew doesn’t have to go into school….grrr. </span>Does it sound confusing and dumb all at the
same time? That’s because it is.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I will try to post again soon. Hopefully
something awesome happens and gives me something to write about!</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5033237745900792836.post-53399690789144309912012-11-06T20:59:00.000-08:002012-11-06T20:59:03.413-08:00To teach is to learn twice<br />
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<span lang="EN-US">A random “ah-ha” moment I thought I’d share…</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">You know the saying, “To teach is to learn
twice.” Well, that came into full effect today. Call me dumb, but I didn’t
really understand how we elected a new president until yesterday. Sure I’ve
heard of the Electoral vote, and the president needs 270 electoral votes to
win, but honestly, I didn’t really know what that meant in its entirety. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I teach English
to a group of teachers at my school, we call it “The Teachers Class.” I always try
to teach them things involving current events. This usually consists of me
taking an article from CNN and then slicing and dicing it to a paragraph or
two, creating a handout with key words and discussion questions. (<i>The main goal of this class is so that
teachers have a place to practice speaking in English with me and other
teachers</i>). With the election taking place on a Tuesday I thought it was the
perfect “current event.”</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">So, I did some research, watched a few
videos and educated myself in great detail about all things election night. It
was important that I FULLY understand because I had to be able to break down
this confusing process to a very elementary level of understanding, thus
enabling me to gain a really strong understanding.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">And good thing I did! The questions these
teacher’s were asking me were tough and had I not researched so thoroughly I
would have been embarrassed. Korean’s are very politically educated and even
the students knew that November 6th was Election Day in the US, and they knew
the names of the candidates! I bet you didn’t know that Korea is having their
own presidential election next month and one of the candidates is a woman, the
daughter of a former president! </span>I really enjoy teaching the teachers
because I learn so much about Korean culture, it’s definitely a win-win
situation!</div>
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So, if you ever want to check yourself with how well you know and understand something, try teaching it to someone else. If you want to know whether or not you have mastered something, try teaching it to someone who is learning English as a second language :)</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5CZa7N7VBlrROhqFoExcFM12_cFVRECzhwWU6ikQ9LS7eYFuRD9cU3ZRNYixk4Vxgmd4v1rXg2w2ifn4-DTGMwOst08Dk5m50XQWhv7ZpSNodZIXZ3Q4zcdliFYjLoFib3-ZPSHRB1Kp/s1600/Election.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5CZa7N7VBlrROhqFoExcFM12_cFVRECzhwWU6ikQ9LS7eYFuRD9cU3ZRNYixk4Vxgmd4v1rXg2w2ifn4-DTGMwOst08Dk5m50XQWhv7ZpSNodZIXZ3Q4zcdliFYjLoFib3-ZPSHRB1Kp/s320/Election.png" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The worksheet I created for class</td></tr>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862962679545518058noreply@blogger.com0